Clandestine
by phoenixBR
Summary: *An OC centered retelling of the MCU movies.* She was taken from her home as a child and turned into HYDRA's greatest weapon (before you-know-who). Now, as she slowly learns the truth about her past and who she really is, she is their greatest enemy. SlowBurn Steve/OC. Chapter 26 Now Posted!
1. Pre-Avengers Part 1

**First off, _HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS EVANS_! In honor of this day, I'm posting my newest story. :)**

**Hello one and all. Thank you for taking the time to check out my story.**

**I started this before I saw The Winter Soldier on opening weekend and I have so much planned. My OC does play a large role leading up to those events so references made and hints dropped will appear throughout.**

**_Clandestine_ will be an OC insert to the MCU and I emphasize that it will be slow-burn. I'm starting a few months before the beginning of The Avengers so you all can get an understanding for my to-be-named-in-a-later-****chapter OC.**

****The relationships my OC has with each Avenger will be covered. Steve and Tony will be the most out of everyone.****

**Parts, such as the beginning of this story, will be written in third person narrative, with the occasional third person in dialogue only. But the majority of the story is written in first person.**

**Outfits for my OC will be on my Polyvore page (link on my profile since I can't link it or my sets in the story itself) so go there for those sets in _Clandestine_.**

**I will be using a translation system on my laptop for when another language is spoken. Those translations will be at the bottom of each chapter so you won't have to wonder what was being said****.**

**Whoo! I think I covered everything. I sincerely hope you enjoy this story and if you made it to the end of this rather long AN, I thank you.**

**Any and all mistakes going forward are mine.**

**Disclaimer for all chapters: I don't own anything Marvel. The OC, original ****plot line and anything not recognized or affiliated with Marvel Entertainment is mine.**

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Chapter 1 - Pre-Avengers Part 1

December 21st, 2010

Director Nick Fury stood on the bridge of the Hellicarrier with his posture straight and gloved hands folded tightly behind his back. His one good eye looked over the dark clouds as the aircraft flew through the skies undetected. If any one asked what he was thinking about, he would tell them nothing. The truth, in fact, was a lot was on his mind; he could share that with but a select few. Nothing ate away his ease more than hoping that they wouldn't arrive at the destination too late.

"We're five miles out, sir."

"Good. Notify Agent Barton." he says as he faces Agent Maria Hill. He can tell by the look on her face that she wants to ask what they were doing in Russia. He leaves no room for such inquiries. "And prepare a jet."

"Yes, sir."

Fury walked to the launch deck in near silence, leaving his boots to make the only sounds. It was empty per his orders except for the one man whom he'd be bringing with him on this mission. They greeted each other silently. "Wheels up, Agent Barton. Time is of the essence."

"Yes, sir." Clint Barton said as he took the controls to the Quinjet. The location having all ready been given, he took off with the director in the co-pilot seat.

The weather in Russia was freezing cold. Snow fell from the skies and had left a thick, untouched blanket on the ground. Clint expertly landed the jet in a field and opened the ramp. "How far out, sir?"

"Less than a mile."

Clint grabbed his bow and quiver, strapping the latter to his back. Fury checked his sidearm before placing it back in his holster.

They were there for one reason. To bring in a known threat or to take them out before they could do any more harm. SHIELD had gotten very little on the subject over the course of the 23 months of investigation since they first caught wind of them.

During that time span, they had assassinated 14 men and women over the entire world. They didn't know what those people had in common but it was enough to bring it to the attention of the World Security Council. If this assassin was working on a way to get out like his ground contact had said, Fury knew that whoever they worked for wouldn't just let them walk away.

"Be cautious, Agent Barton. This person is extremely skilled in many areas and considered to be very dangerous. Our first priority is to bring them in. If all else fails, we take them out here." orders Nick before they headed towards the one place where the subject would be able to make a run.

They move swiftly and silently, making good time. Upon reaching a clearing Fury held up his hand, signaling Barton to hold his position as he scanned the area. From the trees they watched a figure break through the tree line in a sprint North of their position, followed by at least ten heavily armed men in close pursuit. Clint removed one of his arrows and aimed at the men, an explosion sounding seconds after.

Fury released rounds of bullets in seconds and soon the armed men were no longer a problem. Getting to his feet, Nick said over his shoulder, "Get to a high spot, Agent Barton. Wait for my signal." he quickly changed his mag and takes chase after his subject.

He followed a growing trail of blood that speckled the footprints in the white snow. It didn't take long for him to catch up. Seeing the figure a few meters in front of him, he called out, "Wait. Wait, I just want to talk."

The person turned around. In the moonlight that shone through a hole in the clouds above, Fury could make out the face of a girl who had be around the age of 20. Her dark colored hair covered half of her face and she was favoring her left leg. "You're friend in the trees tells me otherwise." she says through the howl of the wind.

Fury furrowed his brows in wondering how she knew where Barton was. "Barton, stand down." he says into his comm, knowing well enough that in this situation Barton wouldn't. He turned back to speak to the girl. "You've been on SHIELD's radar for a long time. It wasn't until a week ago that we got a location on you. You're a hard woman to track down."

"If this is your attempt at trying to recruit me into some secret organization, I'll pass." she turns and starts to limp away. "Thanks for the help back there. Have a good life."

"I can't just let you walk away." Fury takes a couple of careful steps towards the girl. His hand hovers over his gun. "I'm giving you a chance to change. To have a new life." He let it go without saying that he would have to take her out if she didn't accept. He wanted her to know that she had a choice; he wanted to give her a chance to do the right thing.

"That's the same thing they told me, over all of those years, the same lies." she paused for what felt like eternity, hanging her head as she thinks back. "I just took control of my life. I'm not going to let anyone else take it from me."

With the light from the moon, Fury was close enough to see the rage on her face, he could hear the venom of hatred in her voice as she looked at him. Then an unknown object appeared in her hand.

He takes a step back. "Let us help you."

"I don't need anyone's help."

Just as he gave Barton the signal to take the kill shot, a flash lit up the night sky and a loud echoing noise brought both men to their knees. Their eyes burned and a sharp ringing noise vibrated loudly in their ears.

"Agent Romanoff, status." Fury said once he could hear. His vision was still blurry from whatever the girl had set off. He could see Barton stumble towards him and knew that the archer was in the same amount of discomfort as he was. Maybe even more since he had fallen out of a tree.

"I'm seconds away." came Natasha Romanoff's reply. "I saw the entire thing. She's in the wind."

"Agent Barton, status?"

"Ugh, my sight is shot; everything is blurry." came a grimaced reply, followed by a string of curses. "She got away?"

"This time, yes." Fury sighed deeply as he pulled himself to his feet. "We'll be better prepared net time."

Agent Romanoff flew the Quinjet back to the Hellicarrier and helped a complaining Clint to the MedBay. While the archer was getting his eyes looked at, Natasha had a conversation with Director Fury.

"Think we'll find her again?"

"I do. It might not be any time soon, but eventually, she'll surface." Fury pursed his lips before adding. "And when she does, we'll be ready for her."

"Does the Council know you want to bring her in, not kill her?"

"Its... very unlikely, Agent Romanoff. This one I want kept under wraps. For now, just the three of us know about her. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

March 27th, 2011

_Why is it snowing in March? Just, why? It's spring!_

The cold air numbed my face as a drizzled breeze flew through the overcast England skies, making the air thin. The clouds were growing darker with each passing hour and the smell of a storm hovered over me.

God, I hate the cold. But I ignored it.

Like I was trained to do.

My long hair was tussled slightly beneath my hood, brushing my face. It did nothing to distract me from the task at hand. I adjusted the binoculars a few clicks so that I could see further into the room I was surveilling.

The woman I was watching, a professor at Oxford here in London, was sitting at a desk with her back to the window. I've been watching her since dawn, following her to the school she teaches at, then directly back here to her apartment. No trips to the store, or tea with a friend. She had business here.

From the get go it seemed too perfect, too easy. None of the others I confronted prior to this were as easy and I frowned at its simplicity, not liking it one bit.

_Because she knows I'm coming._

Hours passed by without her doing much. I spared a quick glance at my watch before peering back through the binoculars. The woman had crossed the room now, away from the window and out my line of sight. Regardless if it was a trap of some kind or not, it was time to move.

I slid out of my thicker coat, then scaled down the roof ladder and crossed the empty streets before taking the main stairs up to the top floor. After checking my surroundings, I walked down the hallway until I reached the room I needed.

It had taken me months to reach this point. I had searched all of central England for this person who was rumored to have answers to the questions that had racked my brain for as long as I could remember.

During my life, I'd lived knowing one thing; that I was a weapon whose sole purpose was to kill.

I studied different styles of combat fighting and self-defense early on, knew how to assemble countless numbers of weapons before my 12th birthday, endured various mental and physical torture techniques, had my first kill was at the young age of 15... the list goes on.

All in the name of being the best assassin. _Their best weapon._

It wasn't until four months ago that I finally managed to break free of my... employers; who they were, who they are, I still don't know. I was never told who they were or who I worked for. I made it my mission to find out the truth about my life, to get revenge on those who took so much from me.

In those four months since my search began, I've come up with nothing. No leads of any kind.

Obviously, that was easier said than done.

This wasn't the first lead I had gotten since I'd escaped. But it was more promising than those before and there was no way in hell I was going to let it slip out of my hands.

Without wasting another second, I picked the two locks on the door, my weapon drawn and ready as soon as it clicked open. Once entered, I scanned each room in a thorough haste, eager to find the woman. Reaching the office where I saw her last, I waited a beat before breaking the threshold.

There she was, standing in front of her towering bookshelf, the smell of a fireplace filling the room. I knew that it was only a matter of time before someone tried to contact her; a woman of her importance never went long without talking to someone about something. Plus, I needed answers fast as time was not on my side. I've already been in London for far too long.

I closed the distance between us and placed my weapon against the back of her head roughly.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you came knocking down my door, Eleven." she says calmly in thick Russian. I narrowed my grey eyes. "Most people thought it'd take you weeks, months even, to get to me. They don't know you like I do."

"Shut up! I want answers! I know Eleven, or K, isn't my real name. Those are just bloody numbers and letters to you sick people." I ignored her comments not wanting to be there longer than needed. I pressed the gun harder. "No more lies! Start. Talking."

"My dear, you don't know what you're doing."

I grabbed her shirt and turned her so that she could see me. I didn't waver and moved my weapon to just under her chin. "Я знаю точно чего я делаю."

"Do it. Kill me; I can see it in your eyes that you want to. Its all you know." the woman made a ticking sound and then laughed. She was stalling. But for what? "You'll never make it out of England alive. It was all a set-up to get you out in the open. But you knew this. You're just a girl desperately searching for things that aren't and will never be there. Right now there are people looking for you, hunting you, like the animal you are. They'll get what they want and in the end, we'll win. Just like we always do."

"That's not for anyone to decide but me. I know you'll never give up. But know this; neither will I." I shove her aside, hard into the bookcase. Items tumble to the ground but she doesn't waver.

Even while I was at a slight loss at what to do next, I didn't lower my weapon from her head. This was what I spent countless hours and sleepless nights searching for? A pawn? A trap? I was still sure that she knew something that could help me but I was out of time. I couldn't play mind games with her.

"You won't talk, fine." I smirk when I see a small hint of fear in her eyes. She knows what I am capable of, what I can do. I relish the thought of knowing that they haven't forgotten what they made me into. "Я как раз сделаю пример из вас."

All of the sudden, a flashing movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was enough of a warning to tell me I had to move. I turned and jumped over the large wooden desk behind me just as a projectile sailed past me. I'm fast but not fast enough as a burning sensation on my arm tells me. I looked up to see an arrow embedded into the wall.

"Come out! There's nowhere to go!" yells a voice.

Something wasn't right; her people didn't use arrows. Yes, they were trained in nearly every weapon known to man, but I'd never seen arrows used in the field. It just wasn't right.

This had to be a third party.

But the question was, were they here for her or me?

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**Translations from Russian to English via SysTran**

"Я знаю точно чего я делаю." = "I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Я как раз сделаю пример из вас." = "I'll just make an example out of you."

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**Hope you follow and favorite and review; I'd love to hear your thoughts. This is only the beginning.**

**Next chapter:**

"Well, your man killed my only informant. If I see him again, it won't end very well for him."


	2. Pre-Avengers Part 2

**Thank you to those who are following and have favorited "Clandestine". And big thank you to hyourin-kusabana for reviewing the first chapter.**

**There's a little background info about my OC in this chapter, too. :)**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2 - Pre-Avengers Part 2

March 27th, 2011

I take a deep breath and look around. To my right the woman's lifeless eyes stare at me, an arrow embedded deep in her chest. To my left, maybe thirty feet away, is a floor to ceiling window and behind that window is the fire escape.

The fire escape I parked my bike near.

_My escape._

I knew I was fast enough to make it there, fast enough to run down the six flights of stairs, hop on my bike and get the hell out of here. My only problem is this guy was using arrows. The burning and wetness on my arm told me that he had damn good aim, too.

_Think, think, think. See the situation, find the answer, __confront the problem__._

But it was too risky to hope to be fast enough not to get hit, again. If I'm going to make it to my bike, I have to take this guy out first. He killed the woman in cold blood, without asking questions, so he isn't one of hers. The fact the he is using arrows as his choice of weapon quickly tells me two things: that he relies on his vision and probably hearing most of all so what I need to do was take away those two things. Then I can make my escape. And I didn't have to kill him, which, for me nowadays, is a plus.

I reach over the desk and fire until my weapon clicks on empty while at the same time moving closer to my exit. I change my mag out, wincing at the pull on my arm, then reach in to my jacket pocket for a small device.

"Don't make this harder on yourself! Surrender now!" he evenly, forcefully.

_Like I'm about to do that!_

"Surrender has never been part of my vocabulary!" I throw my flash grande over the desk right before I emptied ten rounds into the window. When I hear the familiar _pop! _of the device I take off in the direction towards the window, shielding my face with my arms as I crashed through the cracked glass, groaning as my body slammed into the railing. Behind me I hear the man groan himself as he stumbled and cursed around in the office.

I run.

I take two or more steps at a time, slipping once on a patch of ice and twice more as I glanced above me to see if I am being followed. I landed with a crash on the second to last landing. The metal of the fire escape creaked above me from the weight of the man pursuing me at a very fast pace.

I can see my bike through the thickening sheets of snow, it was less than twenty feet away and I started it remotely. Ten feet away. I look over my shoulder again, see the arrow that was aimed at me. Six feet. I turned back around, threw my leg over the seat and revved the engine, shooting down the alley way and into the empty street.

A second later a yell escaped from my mouth just as I turned the corner, a fire like pain engulfed my right side. I looked down and saw that the arrow had cut through my jacket and the area just above my hip. I can feel the blood seeping through, can feel is running down my side and knew I couldn't go much further before I passed out from blood loss.

Placing my hand over the wound, I tell myself that I need to find a place to lie low until I could leave the country.

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"I mean _she's gone,_ got away, not here anymore. She used those same flash grenades like the first time we met her; 'cept this one emitted a higher pitched noise. Slipped right out."

"Are you all right, Agent Barton?"

"Fine. Ears are ringing a little, but the flash didn't affect me. I did clip her a couple of times but in this storm it'll make finding her again hard."

"Track her any other way you can. What can you tell me about the professor?"

"Nothing useful. All of her IDs here are fake; I sent a photo for the techs do to a facial rec, they should have something in a few hours."

"Okay. Do what you can there then come back to the Hellicarrier for a debrief."

"Copy that."

* * *

To say that my day hadn't gone well... well, let's just say that it hadn't gone well. Other than my one lead ending up dead, a group of some kind now on my ass, I was back to square one. And square one sucked.

I need to find a place to take shelter. After I stop to get medical supplies. Purchasing said medical supplies wasn't easy; my paling face, rain and snow soaked body and blood stained side surely made me stick out more than I wanted or needed at this point. I cursed myself for not making time to stock up on supplies. When I had what I required I left money on the counter before the shop owner could ask any questions. (Or call the police.)

I drive through the storm until the pain becomes too much. My vision is dancing and I'm shivering from everything but the freezing cold. Two signs of blood loss and a fever. I spot a motel sign and make my way to a room that hadn't been cleaned yet. I empty the contents of my bag onto the bed and ease out of my blood stained jacket and shirt.

Three painstakingly long hours later, my side and arm were cleaned, stitched and bandaged. I wonder if either will scar, but not for long. There are more important things to worry about. Right now I just have to wait; they'll heal soon enough.

It had taken a lot out of me and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into the unmade bed and sleep for days. After I scouted the area around the motel, I deemed it safe enough to get a couple hours of sleep. Before dawn, I'd move out again to one of my safe houses on the coast where I would be able to rest longer and do some more research, where I'd make my next move.

It was the middle of the night when I found that I would not be able to get to sleep. My watch read after five, today is Sunday. It's the 28th and if I play my cards right, I can be back in the US by Wednesday evening at the latest.

I shower-oh, man that shit hurt!- and got dressed in an extra set of clothes and erased any trace that I was ever in that room. The sheets with specks of blood, my old and worn clothes, were trashed and burned and I wiped everything I touched down with a towel. Grabbing my helmet and bag, I headed for the door, eager to get back to the states but disappointed that my European trip proved fruitless.

Before I get on the road, I stop at a run down diner close by the motel. I couldn't remember the last time I actually ate something that wasn't packaged or dried; my stomach growled as soon as the smell of greasy food reached my nose.

Taking a booth near the back that was right by the door, I ordered a large cup of coffee and the breakfast special: two pancakes, two meats, probably bacon and sausage, eggs, hash browns, and orange juice.

So here I am, waiting, something I don't like doing because it makes be feel vulnerable. With nothing else to do but look over my shoulder every minute I take this opportunity to update my tablet of my... condition.

Its a long story, one that I still don't understand. And ever since I escaped back in December, I had made sure to write down everything that happens so that, one day, when I find someone who can help me understand it, they'll have all the information they need so that they can find a way to get rid of it.

It started in the late winter of 2006, a week or so after my 18th birthday. Or the day that was designated as my birthday per one Agent 27. That's what the guards there were called, by numbers. One through who the hell knows. And those on the lower end of the food chain, like myself at the time, were called by letters. I was only known as K. (People in the labs, for some odd reason, preferred to call us by numbers, so I was Eleven.)

On that lower food chain there were 26 of us total. 20 men and six women, all between the ages of 18 and 22 at the time. I was the youngest, by given birth date, out of everyone. All of us were raised from a young age to be the best assassins that (unknown) organization had ever seen the likes of.

(We were told that we were born at that base, but as I got older I knew that to be a lie. We were in Russia and, after listening to some doctors talk, I learned that I am American. Just something else I am looking into.)

From childhood we were trained in different military combat fighting styles, foreign fighting styles, marksmanship and some other things that I'd much like to forget how to do. We learned to speak different languages, too. All the necessities to being an assassin were there for us to learn.

That first week after my birthday we had a six day training exercise that would determine if we were strong enough for an experiment of some kind. They called it Project: Alpha. It was the best kept secrets in that entire organization; only two doctors knew what was going on at all times and would consider which persons would work best.

Really, at the time, I didn't think I had much of a chance to be considered but I still loved a good challenge; giving anything my all was second nature to me. The youngest of the group, plenty of men to choose from, the odds were against me from the beginning and I was okay with that. I was fine training, working to be a field agent like 27.

But those above me had other plans.

Between the time my test scores were turned in and the time those two doctors came and got me in the middle of the night, I was convinced that I hadn't been chosen. They proved me wrong.

"You were in the top three, K" they said. "G and X also qualified."

That didn't really affect me. I didn't care about those two. I still couldn't figure out how I had gotten chosen. Then they told me a couple of reasons.

The first reason had to do with my brain. When I was a child, I was told that I had an eidetic or photographic memory. Being five or six, that meant nothing to me but then, I began to understand what they were saying. Because of this I was able to memorize my way through a building or forest with ease. I didn't have to reply on maps or directions like all of the others had and I picked up things around me faster, like fighting techniques and weapons training.

Next was my size. I stand at 5 feet 10 inches but I'm also on the skinny side. Not unhealthy, just natural. They found it 'fascinating', they're words, not mine, that I could hold my own against most of the others in a hand-to-hand fight. Even though I was trained well enough, they were still shocked.

I know there was more that they said after that, but I didn't catch it as I was being poked and prodded as other doctors prepped me for the experiment.

Yeah, talk about not wasting time.

I drift off when I notice that my food is growing cold; I'll have to finish this later. So I remove my tablet from my backpack, opened my notebook and typed down these four words, _"Four months, no usage."_ and take a large bite of my eggs.

"Looks like you've got a lot on your mind there."

I freeze.

That voice; I've heard it before, four months ago in a snow covered field just after I escaped. _"I've giving you a chance to change."_ was what the man told me. _"But I will kill you if you turn my offer away,"_ is what I got instead.

To this day I still hear his voice sometimes, mocking me as if I made the wrong choice by not taking his offer to join his secret organization. Promising that he'd find me and kill me.

"So, you do remember me. I can see it in your eyes." a man dressed in all black, complete with a trench coat, sat down across from me. I looked up as saw an eyepatch covering his left eye. "That means we can skip the unnecessary formalities."

"What do you want?" I said lowly. In my left hand I clutched the butter knife, never letting my eyes leave the man. I didn't like how he was able to sneak up on me; even though my mind was in other places, I could always sense when someone was coming.

"I want a lot of things. And I know that you do as well." he leaned back against the booth, his one good eye looking intently at me. "SHIELD has been on your trail since Russia. It took us awhile to find you again; that was my man you went up against yesterday."

I scoffed. "Well, your man killed my only informant. If I see him again, it won't end very well for him."

"You know that woman wasn't going to give you anything. It was a dead end, just like in Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Milan. You've left a lot of bodies behind, K. Did you think that that would go unnoticed?"

Those people were alive when I left them. I couldn't be the killer I was born, made, to be anymore. But I will if I have to.

"Don't. Do not call me that."

"What am I suppose to call you then? You don't know who you are, your name or what to do with your life and your hunting people that you think has answers about your very mysterious past." Eye-Patch leaded in closer, eye narrowed. "Come with me. SHIELD has everything you could possibly need to continue your search... and no one else has to die. Not to mention," he pauses and glances around. "we can help with your condition. Isn't that what you call it?"

I snap. Reaching over the table with lightning quick speed, I gather the front of his shirt and jacket in my right hand and held the butter against his neck, right on top of an artery.

I could kill him now for asking questions, for knowing too much about me, for following me. But I don't. I don't because I want answers. "How do you know about that?" I whispered into his ear, ignoring the looks the diner staff shot my way. "Who are you!"

"We're a special organization who can help people like you. We can keep you safe. There are people after you who-"

"I don't need protection. I don't want to join your group. I don't need help. Stay. The hell. Away from me." I shove him back and made for the door, before he could make a move on me. My bag is on my back and I just slide my helmet on, throwing my leg over my bike. I rev the engine, ready to peel out when I caught his last words.

"To show you that I mean well, I won't tell anyone that I found you. There's a folder on your bike that I think you'll want to look at before you reach the states."

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**Hope you liked this chapter. Review are greatly ****appreciated.**

**Chapter 3: **"My name is Agent Phil Coulson. I'm with SHIELD. Director Fury sent me."


	3. Pre-Avengers Part 3

**Thanks to all who've favorited and are following.**

**Just so you all know, chapter 6 will be the beginning of the Avengers. There's a lot of information about my OC between now and then, too. Some things are mentioned, you'll likely see them, that tie her to the later stories/movies. Keep an eye out.**

**I'm enjoying writing "Clandestine" and I hope you'll share your thoughts about it going forward.**

Chapter 3 - Pre-Avengers Part 3

April 5th, 2011

It wasn't easy, but I finally managed to get out of England and away from Eye-Patch and his arrow wielding agency using my (fake) ID that got me through any airport. I normally preferred to travel under the radar; via private airlines or anyone I could find to get me to my destination with no questions asked. They weren't as thorough when checking IDs so it was easier and safer for me that way. But this time, on such a short notice, I wasn't able to do that.

Because I know that those people would check such places, I had to chance it by taking a public plane. All the while I think that if those I worked for knew where I was, if they found me, a lot of innocent people would end up dead. And I couldn't have they're blood on my hands, too.

I parked my bike down an alley and followed the directions in the folder that Eye-Patch gave me earlier this week. I learned his name was Nick Fury, and that he is the Director of SHIELD. I've never heard of them and didn't know anything about them other than what he put in the file. That, along with the safe house information, was put in the folder for me to read; I doubt I'm going to open it.

Even though it wouldn't have been my first choice, I'm thankful that Boston is a big city. It will be easy for me to get lost in the crowd; hard for any one who could be on my trail to track me while I am here. And, if Fury is telling the truth, which I'm hesitant to believe since he's a spy, the location he gave me is a safe house. Completely off grid, known only to him. Not having a place to stay left me with accepting his offer.

I just can't help but wonder what he was getting from me in return.

* * *

April 12th, 2011

In the week that has gone by since I arrived back in the states, I've done nothing but look over my shoulder and wonder if I made the right call. Even though I'm feeling more refreshed than I have in some time, with my injuries healing well enough, I don't let my physical feelings mix with my mental ones. I've considered doing something more... active, rather than sit in the safe house idle. But what? It turns out I really miss running. Just regular running, not running for my life running. Sadly that was out of the question since I didn't know how secure I was out in the city. Even though the weather was pretty nice, I couldn't risk being seen. Not so soon.

The next best thing: trying to find a new place to stay.

Being in the wind, with no one to trust, you don't always have what you need. Simple things included. I know this for a fact. The only clothes I had were the ones I wore coming over from the UK; underclothes, an extra long sleeve tee, jeans and boots. That, along with my handgun, a dagger and two throwing knives that can easily fit in my backpack or on my person, is all I have. The good news is I had enough money to go shopping for anything I didn't have, thanks to the bank accounts I set up last time I was in the states.

I actually read the file Fury gave me and found that the safe house was fully stocked: clothes, food, money, (I found a few weapons, but he didn't mention those), the works. All of it, I could use. I still can't figure out what his play was. Knowing that I can't and won't accept his offers I opted to buy my own things and find a new place to stay. A place where he couldn't drop in on me unannounced.

I found a few shops about a block from the house. I bought another short sleeve shirt and a few food items to last me the rest of the week. I'd stock up on that, too, once I moved.

It was on my way back that I saw a "For Sale" sign. It had an address and directions and a phone number. After I dropped my things off, I headed uptown to check it out.

When I got there thirty minutes later, a woman was just walking through the front door. She had her back to be and didn't hear me come up behind her, so she startled some at seeing me standing at the bottom steps.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Oh, hi. Hello." she says with a laugh. "Are you here about the flat?"

I nodded, looking up at the building. "I can come back later if you were heading out."

"No, no it fine. Come on in." she removed her keys from her purse and quickly unlocked the door. "I'm Quinn." I shake her hand with a smile.

In the past, I've never had to introduce myself; everyone already knew who I was. And to them I was only a number or a letter. When I escaped and managed to make an ID for myself to get out of Russia, and into other countries while trying to find answers, I had chosen the name Kate Lynn.

(Easy enough to remember because the two names were similar to what I was called in Russia. Not that I like the idea of carrying them around, it was the best I could do so I wouldn't risk a slip up in the future. Even with my eidetic memory, I chose something easy. Slip-ups, for me, can not be afforded. No matter how small.)

"Kate." I finally say.

She takes me up two flights of stairs while telling me that this is the only flat in the building and the rest are smaller apartments. The flat itself was nice enough with four total rooms that broke off of a short hallway: a kitchen, a bedroom, a full bathroom and a living area. There were two windows facing the streets and I had direct access to the roof. A fire escape was just outside the bedroom leading down into the alley where I could keep my bike. In short, it was perfect.

"I'll take it."

Quinn looked surprised but quickly recovered, saying that she could have all of the paperwork tomorrow afternoon. I agree and continue on my way.

I'm walking to my bike when I notice a man watching me from across the street. He wears a suit and sunglasses even though it was cloudy. I can't tell if it was someone who could be after me, a threat, or if he was one of Fury's men trying to keep tabs on my whereabouts. Not wanting to find out, I get on my ride and speed out of the back of the alley, away from the strange man.

After taking a lot of detours over the course of an hour, a heat run, I pulled to a halt back at the safe house. It's getting darker by the second and I am ready to call it a night. Tomorrow I would move and get started on my next search; I'm thinking that there were consultants that knew the people I first targeted. If so, I'd find them.

I walk to the kitchen and go to the fridge for a beer. In passing a window I caught a glimpse of something moving behind me. Grabbing the gun tucked in the back of my pants, I turned around quickly, catching the person before they could make a run.

I aimed at their head.

"Don't move, unless you want a bullet in your brain." not taking my eyes away from the figure in front of me, I reached over and flicked on the lights. "Who the hell are you?"

A middle aged man with thinning hair and focused eyes stared back at me. He wore a suit and tie and had his hands clasped in front of him. He wasn't smiling. "My name is Agent Phil Coulson. I'm with SHIELD." I groaned and lowered my weapon. "Director Fury sent me."

"You guys have keeping tabs on me." I growl lowly. "Why?"

"Director Fury believes that there are people on your trail-"

"No shit,"

"who want you dead and thinks it best to keep a close eye on you. For your protection."

I grabbed my beer and walked past Coulson, going to the bedroom just down the hall. "There are always people after me, Agent Coulson. Have been for a while. I can take care of myself."

"We don't doubt that; this is different."

"Doesn't seem different to me." I took a long pull of my beer before sighing. I knew that I was being followed ever since Russia. Those people couldn't live with someone like me on the run from them-working against them. I am dangerous. A weapon they created now focused on taking them down.

"Look, I appreciate SHIELD's help with giving me a place to stay and all but you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. If and when someone does catch me, I'll handle it. Like I always do." I motion to the front door. "Now, leave."

"You don't understand, Kate." I frown when he uses that name. "We know more about you, what you came from in Russia, what you had to go through to escape, we know about it all. Those people you were trained with since day one? 19 of them are already dead. And the ones responsible are coming for you."

"Whoa, what? Dead?" I'm taken aback, not expecting him to mention any of that, least of all the news that 19 of the people I trained with were dead. Question after question raced through my head. I paced up and down the hallway before stopping a few feet away from Coulson. "How do you know about that? What happened?"

Phil Coulson was unreadable. His face was blank and his eyes didn't leave me. I hold his gaze. "Tomorrow night, at your new place. I'll tell you everything we know."

"Oh, no. No, you're going to talk now!" I saw quickly. My heart was beating faster and that familiar ache behind my eyes slowly returned. I leaned against the wall until the pain was manageable, then lifted my eyes. Agent Coulson was still standing in front of me. "You can't... just come in here and drop news like that. I need to know. Now."

"You need to rest, sleep. There's aspirin in the cabinets." I leaned there against the wall, listening to Phil Coulson's footsteps fade into nothing. I stumbled into the bedroom, silently cursing SHIELD for coming into my life.

My last thought was about how I shouldn't have drunk that beer.

* * *

Agent Phil Coulson was sitting in an empty parking lot a few miles outside of Boston when he called Director Nick Fury on a secure line. The box of files he was going to give to the woman he met tonight rested in the seat next to him, waiting to spill its secrets.

"Agent Coulson, report."

"It's done. She knows."

"And how did she take the news?"

"Well enough, considering. She got control over it after a few seconds and by first look she hasn't used in some time."

"Very good. I want the video on my desk when you arrive along with your detailed report. And Coulson?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Be careful. We don't know all what she's capable of yet. Tread lightly."

"Understood."

* * *

_Where am I?_

I was wearing a bra and shorts, leaving my bare skin to freeze against the cold metal table. My arms and legs were numb, immobile and useless. A fear washed over me but it soon disappeared when I realized where I was and what was happening-or getting ready to happen.

I was back in Russia, back at that base, undergoing the final preparations for their experiment. G and X had gone before me and I knew right away that the test on them had failed because of the looks of desperation on the doctors around me. If I didn't survive this, if their last able body ended up like the two before hand, they'd have to start over. A clean slate. Just like that.

It went without saying that they couldn't afford for anything to fail.

_I couldn't fail._

Part of me was terrified but that was small compared to the excitement I felt inside. If I pulled through, and that was a big if, I would be their greatest weapon, high on a level none of the others would ever reach.

"The beginning of the procedure will be painless up until we inject the serum into the base of your skull, Eleven. After that, you'll be put into the Cryo tube where we'll monitor your vitals to see how your body accepts the serum."

They say _'accept'_, like they knew this would work. Did the doctors know something that I didn't?

I manage a nod, my mouth still a little numb from something they gave me an hour ago. I wasn't thrilled about having to be awake for all of this; Cryo was my least favorite place on base. Deep inside, I was scared.

And that wasn't because Cryo was a place that I knew the least about.

I don't do well in the below freezing temperature that reside there-it was a fear that I had faced many times but had yet to completely overcome.

Not that anyone else knows that.

The poking and prodding continued, though I could hardly feel it, and time ticked away. Finally, they were ready to inject their serum, their last hope, into me, also their last hope. _Or so they told me._

"If this works, you'll be helping make the world a better place, Eleven." a Russian voice says. I don't know if I believe them.

I lay completely still as one doctor readied the long needle and another held my head. A sharp pinch, then an overwhelming sensation of vertigo filled my head.

I shivered, then snapped my eyes open, not even realizing that I had closed them.

I was now in the Cryo tube; my teeth chattered, I could see my breath in small, icy puffs just inches from my near frozen body.

_This had better work. Or you all are dead._

The serum is running through my body; I could feel its coldness.

A blue light flicks on above me and then... nothing.

**My muse likes hearing from you all. Please leave a review with your thoughts. :)**

**Chapter 4:** I wondered if I could trust them, but not for long. I don't trust anyone. Trust in my line of work could get you killed; I had fought long and hard not to slip up now.


	4. Pre-Avengers Part 4

**Big thanks to TameTheGhosts and bluefaerie1987 for reviewing the last ****chapter. And to those who are now following along. It means a lot!**

**If you haven't already, check out my Polyvore page for sets that my OC "Kate" wears in _Clandestine_. Link on my profile ****page.**

**I'm in the process of moving, so I'm updating early in the ****morning. Not sure when I'll be able to get C5 up yet, so I hope this ties you over until then. Lots happens as we get closer to the start of The Avengers. :)**

**"Feast your eyes!" - Loki (Comic-Con 2013)**

Chapter 4 - Pre-Avengers Part 4

April 13th, 2011

_"If this works, you'll be helping make the world a better place, Eleven."_

I shoot upright in a cold sweat, the thump, thump, thump of my racing heart echoing through my ears. The morning sun is peaking from behind a few clouds before disappearing again. Flashes of the night before come flooding back to my memory in fine detail; Agent Coulson of SHIELD following me on Fury's orders... him telling me that most of the people I trained with were dead... that SHIELD knows everything about me...

This wasn't good.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and glance at the clock. _10:47am. _I had been out for 14 hours-one of my longest blackouts yet. And since I'm still in my clothes from the night before, shoes and jacket included, I knew that it happened suddenly and I wasn't prepared.

Also, not good.

I jot this down in my notes before grabbing a quick shower. I was meeting Quinn at noon to finalize the sale of the flat. There was a lot I had to do before Agent Coulson stopped by and I didn't want to be caught off guard by SHIELD, or someone else, again.

Thankfully noon came and went quickly and with that out of the way, I take the next few hours to buy some clothes and food. I didn't need any furniture; the place came with a lot of items that the owner before me couldn't take with them. There was a couch and a couple of wooden chairs, the fridge/freezer and a square table. I am so use to sleeping on any surface that I wasn't going to bother buying a bed.

After all of that was finished, I drive to the drug store and buy some stronger painkillers. The ones that worked best were, thankfully, non-perscribtion and I make sure to stock up on them. Since I go through three times the amount in a sitting, it's best to have plenty on hand.

Finally, I grab a bite to eat before going to my new place. It's already past seven in the evening and I know that Agent Coulson would be showing up tonight. With or without the answers he promised me is still unknown.

Parking my bike in the alley and taking the fire escape up to my bedroom, I pondered how SHIELD got wind of me in the first place. Coulson had said that they, that SHIELD, knew everything about me, what I had gone through growing up in Russia, everything leading up to when I escaped and first met Fury in that field. Then those four months of them tracking me, following me as I desperately tried to piece my life together from next to nothing. As I tried to find answers...

I wonder if I can trust them, but not for long. I don't trust anyone. Trust in my line of work could get you killed; I had fought long and hard not to slip up now.

Even if Coulson did show up tonight and even if he did give me everything they had on why the 26 of us were being hunted and killed... would that be enough for me to accept that they mean well? Not likely to happen, but, even though I am positive that I want no part in another secret organization, I'm still going to hear him out.

But my hand was never going to leave my weapon.

"You really should try using the front door. Could save you some time." A light flicked on as I set foot in my bedroom. Agent Coulson stands by the door with that same look on his face as when I saw him last night. I let out a low growl.

"And maybe you should learn to wait for the host to invite you in to they're home. Unless you want to get shot." my finger tapped the gun in my hand to emphasize my point.

"You wouldn't have killed me. You had a chance last night and didn't." Coulson turned around and headed for the living room.

"I didn't say I would've killed you; I said I would've shot you." I followed him slowly. All of the lights in the flat are off except for a lamp in the corner of the room that I know wasn't there before. The table and chairs were moved from the kitchen and a box sat on top of the table.

"The area is now secure, sir."

I raised my weapon and the sound of a new voice ready to take action. I recognized his voice right away; my finger hovered over the trigger. "Nothing new to report."

"Thank you Agent Bart-"

"You," I seethed. I charge before either man can make a move, knocking the new man to the ground with a forceful kick to his midsection. I punch him hard in his mouth but he reacts quickly and gets his right hand around my left; the one holding the gun. He slammed my wrist against the ground, effectively knocking it out of my grasp before getting his legs up between us and pushing me off.

I fly into a chair. I stumble for a second as I get to my feet, my heart was beating fast as I gazed at the man in front of me. He had a split lip and a ready stance. Before I can charge again, Coulson is standing in between us with a gun pointed at me.

"That's enough!"

"What the hell is this? Why is he here? I told Fury if I saw this guy again it wouldn't end well!" I say as I wipe my mouth.

"Agent Barton is with me. We have reason to believe that there was someone in Boston coming for you. I needed backup coming here." Coulson says quickly. I'm not buying it.

"Your lying. No one knows where I am." I made sure of it. Did I mess up? Did I make a mistake? "Except for SHIELD."

Coulson doesn't lower his gun. "Barton."

I watch as Agent Barton reaches into his pocket and pulled out a small device. I recognize it right away, because I helped make them, and slowly relaxed but not completely. "Where did you find that?"

"Agent Barton found it above your front door. It would have gone off when-"

"When I was close enough for it read my DNA signature, I know." I run my hand over my face. "I helped perfect them."

"And now you know that we're not making this up. The threat is real, Kate. They would have crossed you off of their list if we hadn't shown up and taken care of the problem. More will come, you know this."

"Maybe they wouldn't be able to if you guys weren't following me! Have you thought about that? I was doing fine on my own but you, you show up and now I have two different organizations on my tail." I took a deep breath to settle myself. "Just give me what you have and leave."

Agent Coulson lowers his gun and holstered it before telling Agent Barton to go outside while he and I talked things over.

"Have a seat." Coulson says firmly. Reluctantly, I do as he says, but only after I retrieve my own weapon from across the room and tuck it into the back of my pants. "It's all in here. Everything we have on the 19 deceased."

I pick up the first file and see the letter _A_ and _Terminated_ stamped on the front. I couldn't bring myself to open it yet so I just held it there and listened as Coulson told me what SHIELD knew.

"Very little... more like next to nothing is known about the program you came from, even to SHIELD. We had an agent close by, but they weren't able to give us much on them. The best information we ever got was about their serum and how they were going to use it on you. What we do know is that the serum they injected you with was an attempt at recreating a serum one doctor perfected in the 1940s."

"Recreating... from the 40s?" I interrupt, not knowing what he was talking about.

"Yes. It was during World War II when a young man was injected with this serum and turned in to a super soldier. Sadly, the doctor who created it was killed in an effort to steal it and the formula died with him. For decades doctors and scientists have tried to recreate the formula; some have come closer than others."

"Okay, Agent Coulson? You're not making any sense. What does this have to do with those people terminating the ones they trained?"

Coulson took the file from my hand and put it back in the box. "Fury wanted us to keep an eye on them for a little while longer. All of this started nine days after you escaped their base. Project: Alpha was being terminated as the ones in charged felt that their best weapon, you, running around was too dangerous to leave alone. They couldn't control you and they couldn't continue the project as you were the only successful subject. It was decided that everyone you were raised and trained with were of no use to them; they thought it best to have a clean slate when they returned to any previous projects.

"Two of the men were killed with the experiment failed on them. Add their deaths to the 19 we know about and that makes 21. That leaves five more people who they're still after, including you. This device wasn't planted to kill you, Kate." Coulson sets the small item down gently. "Do you know what that is?"

I look at the device and see that a few modifications have been made, namely the top where the explosives would go. It was small, but if you knew what to look for you'd see it right away: a glass vial and a dark colored liquid. "Its a paralytic toxin, fast acting and odorless. They mostly use it in darts or lace knives or cover bolts in it when they didn't want a kill right away."

"So do you see what I'm trying to tell you? The serum that's in you body was, as far as we can tell, a near perfection. It enhanced a lot more of you than you may think, than they might've led you to believe, but it still came with flaws. Those people want to get they're hands on it."

"Flaws?" I knew right away what Coulson was talking about. "SHIELD hasn't been following me because you want to protect me. You've been following me because you want to make sure I don't-" I can't even finish the thought, let alone say the words. I stood up and went to the kitchen and grabbed the sink, the stainless steel was cool against my skin.

"Its getting worse, isn't it? The headaches? The blackouts?" Coulson's voice sounded distant. I shook my head to clear the haziness. "Let us help you."

"Get. Out." I whisper so low I wasn't even sure I said it. I didn't have to repeat myself as a few seconds later my front door clicked shut.

Now alone, I went over to the box of files and back to my bedroom knowing that I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

* * *

"Fury said not to push her, Coulson. That was dangerous. We were just suppose to warn her about those on her trail and get information about that device."

"I made a judgement call, Barton. We both know that."

"I do know, that's the thing. Where does that leave us?"

"I'm going to leave a different trail for these people to follow, just in case there is someone here. If they're man had help nearby, we can't let anything lead to her. Meanwhile, I want you stationed here at all times. These people are good, best not to chance anything."

"Now I'm a babysitter? C'mon, Coulson. Get Nat to do it, she actually likes the kid."

"Not a babysitter, and not a kid. She was forced to grow up fast; don't underestimate or look down on her because of her age.

"Think of this as a way to understand her. Maybe she'll trust you and, in turn, SHIELD."

* * *

"Господин, мы нашли она. Она в Бостоне, но не самостоятельно."

"Новое союзничество, возможно?"

"Оно не появляется так. Она пробует держать к себе, продолжать ее работает там в положениях."

"Интересно. Пошлите наше самое лучшее оружие для того чтобы принести 11 назад к нам."

* * *

**Translations from Russian to English**

"Sir, we found her. She is in Boston, but not alone."

"A new alliance, perhaps?"

"It does not appear so. She is trying to keep to herself, to continue her work there in the states."

"Interesting. Send our best weapon to bring Eleven back to us."

* * *

**I'll let you take that lat bit as you see fit. :)**

**Review, please?**

**Chapter 5:** Something strong gripped my neck, effectively pulling me to my feet and I gagged as the gloved hand tightened its hold. They are strong. Very fast. I could feel my heartbeat slowing and knew that I would pass out sooner than later.


	5. Pre-Avengers Part 5

**Hello, all!**

**Thanks to those who ****reviewed C4 and welcome to the new followers.**

**Man, these last two weeks have been super busy. I moved over the holiday week and am still getting settled in my new home. I still have a lot to do but had some time to post this chapter for you all. You find out more about "Kate", her backstory and there is an appearance of someone very important in _Clandestine_, too.**

**So here's the last all original ****chapter; next one will be the beginning of the Avengers. * happy dance ***

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 5 - Pre-Avengers Part 5

April 21st, 2011

I was 15 when I killed a person for the first time.

And, no matter how much I try to forget, no matter how I wish things played out differently, I remember the moment all too well.

It was a training exercise on a freezing night to see how fast we could take down our targets and make it to the extraction point. I was last, the usual order of oldest to youngest made me wait until the gun was given to me.

All of us had already located our targets, and the 25 trainees before me who had finished their kills were now waiting at a different location that was the extraction point. They made it look easy and, for them, it probably was. They didn't know whose life they just ended. I can't say the same thing.

I had trained for months for that exact moment, always going over the motions in my head, making sure that I could and would be perfect; _locate target, aim, fire, extract_. Very simple when your practicing on dummies or livestock, not so simple when your tested on it with the higher-ups watching your every move. When you have to kill the person who trained you.

Agent 27 knew it was coming, but I didn't.

It wasn't until that night when we were called to the training site. An hour before the exercise started, she pulled me aside and told me that she was going to die that night at my hand. I was stunned into silence. When I found my voice, I pleaded with her to find a way to change the minds of those in charge but she knew nothing would make that happen. She told me that the exercise was to teach me and only me distance as the two of us had grown too close over the years. Close enough that she had to die because of it.

Finally she told me that it was alright. She told me that she wanted a better life for me, one that she always wanted to give me but couldn't because of the life we lived. Told me that I could be more than their puppet. She said that she was sorry for everything and that if I ever saw a chance to escape that hell hole, _when I had the chance_, to take it without question.

As I stood over her with that 9mm gun pressed against her forehead, her brown eyes looking up at me without a single hint of fear, she smiled. Then, as if a final act of defiance to show that those people never owned her and never had control of her, she told me her name.

_Nina._

I pulled the trigger.

To the higher-ups, it didn't take me long to get over what I'd done. On the outside I was the perfect student: I trained harder than I did before and I was more focused, always finishing at the top of the ranks. But on the inside, the side no one ever saw, I was broken and torn. I had killed the only person who ever cared about me. I had killed the only family I could ever imagine to have.

What if she had a family out in the world somewhere, looking for her? I wondered that about myself more as I got older; unlike the others who accepted that the life they had was what they were suppose to be, I hadn't. I didn't want to go around the world killing people my entire life. I longed for the freedom to be myself... whoever that might be.

Thinking back to the three years between when I killed Nina and to the time I was injected with their serum, I realized that that was when I had finally snapped. The moment I took my best friend's life, the only person I trusted with everything, was when I had decided to stop playing their game.

That was the moment when I chose _me_.

Days have gone by since Agent Coulson dropped those files off. I hardly slept, unable to take my mind off of finding out what pattern there was and what they planned next. I barely ate and only left the flat to check my surroundings.

In doing so I discovered that Agent Barton was watching me. Always watching. He never left as far as I could tell; rain or shine or freezing cold he was perched on the roof of the building next to mine, a weapon in hand, a clear look of my bedroom window. That would mean something if I was ever in there. No, I spent a lot of time in the rather large closet that he couldn't see. There, I felt like I had control over something, while outside of it I didn't.

And it was because of my inability to separate my past and my present, to ignore the confusion, that nearly got me killed five days later.

* * *

April 26th, 2011

_What am I missing? There's gotta be something missing..._

I had read through the box of files more times than I care to count. I scanned each one for anything that could be a clue, anything that could point me in the direction I needed to go. 19 files, 19 deceased people and 'accidents' and I've come away with nothing. And it was frustrating.

For the first time, I don't know what to do. I don't have a back up plan. SHIELD is watching my every move. People are after me. People want me dead.

_Where did I go wrong?_

The confines of the closest walls are becoming too much. I couldn't stay in the room, the flat, any longer. I needed some fresh air so I went up to the roof, hoping that the open space will help clear some things up.

The 19 dead were all killed off in similar ways ranging from sudden heart failure to car accidents. Anyway to make sure it seemed accidental to the public. It made sense that the people targeting them, targeting me, would want as little attention drawn to themselves as possible. They couldn't risk any enemies knowing that they were taking out their own people.

21 of the people I grew up with are dead. Five of us still have red X's painted on our backs. The question remains: am I the only one still alive?

The late April weather was nice as a soft breeze blew my hair. It was rather quite in the city, even for two o'clock in the morning and that worried me the longer I stood in the open. That was when I noticed something else: Agent Barton wasn't on the roof across from me.

I can admit that he and I got off on the wrong foot. I mean, he did kill someone I needed to question and shot me _twice _with those arrows of his, but he was kinda like me. To an extent, I guess. I only knew he was an assassin for SHIELD. He knows who he works for, whereas I didn't and don't. As far as I know, that's the only thing we have in common. We're killers.

I walk over to the side of the roof that's directly across from where Barton keeps his post. Because of the height difference of the buildings, I can't see much of anything excapt a bag or two.

No sight of the SHIELD agent.

Should I be worried? Happy? Should I run for it while SHIELD isn't watching?

I don't have time to wonder about these things as I sense movement behind me. Before I can react, something pricks the side of my neck and my vision is gone. I pull the dart out before it can do its full effect and go for the knife I keep in my boot. I had left my gun in my room, not that it would do me much good right now.

I crouch low to the ground and listen for my attacker. The wind has died down, leaving me with nothing but blindness and silence.

I waited for them to make the first move, keeping myself small until they did. It didn't take but a few seconds before the first strike came and knocked me down. The punch came from my right side so I now knew where they were. The familiar copper taste in my mouth told me that that information didn't come without a price.

Rolling with the force of the blow, I stopped with one hand and knee on the ground. When I heard the footsteps coming towards me, I charged.

I slashed my left hand out with my knife, catching nothing but air. Footsteps came up behind me and I kicked out. I connected with something, maybe a leg, and followed with a strong uppercut with my right fist.

"Кто вы?" I ask automatically in Russian. A kick to my side sends me to one knee, but I recover quickly and roll out of the way of another punch that connected with the ground. "Почему вы здесь?"

"Вы знаете почему я здесь." replies a voice. It's slightly muffled by something, I don't know what for sure but, if I had to throw out a guess, it'd be a mask.

_They're here for me. Coulson was right. SHIELD was right._

_Dammit._

"Я не иду назад."

Something strong gripped my neck, effectively pulling me to my feet and I gagged as the gloved hand tightened its hold. They are strong. Very fast. I could feel my heartbeat slowing and knew that I would pass out sooner than later.

My body was slammed into the ground and the knife slid from my grasp. Down but far from out, I snake my arms in between my attackers and brought them outwards as hard as I could. When the grip around my neck was gone I thrust my knee up until it connected with someone. I heard a cry of pain before my side welcomed a hard kick.

Reaching behind my back for another weapon, one of my small throwing knives, was a challenge as the kicks kept raining down on my side. My attacker didn't stop so when I did get my fingers around my last weapon I was able to stab it into their leg.

I expected a cry of pain to confirm that I met my target but it never came. Instead the kicking ceased. I waited for a few minutes to see if they would come back but I only heard the sound of the buzzing streets below.

I lean forward to catch my breath, wondering how they found me and why they didn't kill me.

Going by memory I crawled over to the side of the building and felt for the fire escape. I slowly took the steps down to my bedroom window, slipped inside and locked it behind me. I had lost both of my knives in the fight so using any blood on them to find out the ID of who attacked me was not an option.

I felt my side for the extent of my injures. Holding back a slew of curse words, I felt that at least two of my ribs were broken. Could be more and I'm sure that the bruising will be a bitch. Whatever toxin I was hit with had yet to fade any and my eyes stung pretty badly. I know I removed that dart before the toxin could fully enter my bloodstream but some did which is why I am suddenly tired. I will the feeling to pass as I find my way to the bathroom; I turn on the cold tap, strip off my clothes and let the spray run over my body and rinse my wounds.

I have no reason to believe that SHIELD could stop someone from attacking me. I have no reason to believe that they would other than their word. Barton was gone and I had to fight for my life-again. In my mind, they went against their word.

The people I already knew to be after me, whoever they are, won't stop until they have me. Today's delay in their plan only tells them that I won't go without a fight; one that won't end with my surrender, but rather my death and their failure.

But they won't kill me, if what Coulson said is true. They want the formula for the serum that's encoded into my blood, that's why their man only shot me with the dart. It means they need me alive.

I know how to disappear, so that won't be a problem. But if I do, I'll have to put my search for answers on hold. I'd have to change my looks, my name (again), move somewhere secluded until things blew over.

Fake my death? Maybe that, too.

Is that something I want to do?

* * *

"It was a decoy, Nat. You're intel was right about them making a move on her. By the time I realized it, I was ten miles away."

"Is she okay?"

"She's alive if that's what you mean. Passed out in her room after the beating she took. I found a dart on the roof, might have been laced with something."

"Bring it with you. Fury wants a face to face debrief before you're shipped to your new detail."

"Copy that."

* * *

**Translations from Russian to English**

"Who are you?"

"Why are you here?"

"You know why I'm here."

"I'm not going back."

* * *

**Chapter 6: **I was raised, trained, to be a killer. There were no sides of good and evil, of right and wrong; we read in between the grey lines. No questions asked. Could I do this? Could I be someone who helped save a life rather than end it?

**This was one of my favorite chapters to write so far; the fight scene was a lot of fun. But I'm happy that I can get into the MCU more now...I have so much planned.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me what you thought in a review. * leaves with muse to write more *****  
**


	6. Avengers Part 1

**Big thank you to those who are still following _Clandestine_. It means a lot to me!**

**Be sure to check out my Polyvore page for my OC's outfit throughout the story.**

**Now that we're out of the original part, we can begin with the Avengers. I'm beyond excited and how you are too.**

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Chapter 6 - Avengers Part 1

May 1st, 2011

It was the sound of a loud banging on my front door that awoke me early on the first of May. I instantly tightened my hand around the combat knife under my pillow; I'm still on high alert after the events that happened days ago. Tossing the blanket away from my body, I slowly walked to the front door, thankful that the blindness had finally left the day before.

Along with the knife in my hand, I had a handgun within my reach of the front door. Not chancing anything I peered through the hole in the door and sighed deeply when I saw Agent Coulson and two other men dressed in suits. The last thing I wanted to do was let him in but I wondered where Agent Barton was while I was busy trying not to go back to Russia.

Not that I cared or anything.

"What do you want?" I say as I open the door.

"You need to come with us, Kate." says Coulson with that still as stone look on his face. The men behind him aren't moving. I raise a brow.

"Why would I go anywhere with you? In case you haven't gotten the hint, I'm trying to stay away from you all, since you refuse to leave me alone."

"Your location has been compromised." Coulson's eyes went from mine to my torso. I hadn't put on a shirt after my shower the night before, leaving me to sleep in only my bra and a pair of sweatpants. The deep multi-colored bruising on my right side was very evident now over the very faint scars left from Agent Barton's arrows. In those few days my ribs have mostly healed, though the bruises still hurt. "As you already know."

"I can handle myself." I twirl the knife in my hand. "Now if you three don't mind-"

"This isn't a request. SHIELD needs your help."

I shake my head, not liking one bit where he was going with this. I need to let him know where I stand before he gets the wrong idea. "You seem to be a person with a high level of clearance. You know where I came from, so let me make this as clear as possible: I have no desire to work for another secret organization."

"SHIELD isn't like where you came from. We're different. We help people." Coulson begin. I can tell right away that he's trying to convince me and not use force. "The world is in danger, and we believe that someone like you can help us."

"You can forget it. I have my own problems to deal with." I move to close the door but Coulson stops it with his hand. Behind him the two men stiffen. I narrow my eyes and wait for them to pull out a tranq-gun or something with more power. They don't.

"Director Fury figured that you'd resist at first so he has this to offer; come with us. Help us save the world and you'll have access to anything and everything you need to continue your search."

I have no words so I purse my lips into a tight line. The offer was good, maybe even too good to pass up but I was serious about not joining another agency-whether it was like the one I escaped or not. Coulson and Fury tell me that they're different. I only have their word to go by and, considering how Barton went AWOL leaving the Russian a clear opening to get to me, I am very hesitant.

I remind myself that I did need answers. I've lived in the dark about who I am, where I came from, hell even when my birthday is for my entire life and now SHIELD promises to give me access to aid my search. I don't know how big the price I have to pay for they're help is just yet, but I know this: Trust has to be earned. I don't trust them, maybe I never will. But if Agent Phil Coulson is telling me the truth, if the world is in danger and SHIELD needs my help... well, maybe this could be the path I take to start doing some good with my life.

Finally, I eye the knife in my hand and reply. "Fine. But once my job is done, I'm taking the information and leaving." I depart the three agents to get dressed, wondering all the while if I'll regret this down the road.

* * *

I'm ready two minutes later. Now dressed in black jeans, a short sleeve shirt and my favorite jacket and combat boots, I sit in the back of a blacked out SUV with Coulson. No one bothered to tell me where we were going, so I sat in silence and played the dreaded waiting game.

An hour or so after leaving my flat, the car pulled to a stop. Coulson hands me a clear tablet without saying a word. I arch a brow before tapping my finger on the screen. I frown, "What's this?"

"That is your file."

"Why do I have-"

"The other people we're bringing on need to know who they're working with-"

"I don't work well with others-"

"And you need to know who you're working with." Coulson ignored my comments and continued. "Inside are files you can read up on. You'll be taken to our base and then briefed on the situation." he exited the car and I followed, squinting my eyes at the brightness of the day.

Before us sat a jet, one I didn't recognize. It looked military but I wasn't sure. "I have another stop to make before I join you. Any questions?"

"Why me?" I say with some hesitation. That question, two words, stood out on the ride over. I couldn't figure out why Fury though I could be of use to SHIELD. Sure my location in Boston had been compromised in a very short amount of time but that wasn't the reason SHIELD was bringing me in. Coulson said they needed me. I want to know why.

"The world is in need of someone to be there when no one else can."

"I don't think I know how to be that someone."

"You will."

I boarded the jet and took one of the few empty seats. The other two agents were no where to be found so I assumed that they had other orders. With a sigh I began to scroll through my file as the jet took off.

_Name: Kate Lynn_

_Age: Classified_

_DOB: Classified_

_Nationality: Classified_

_Skill set: Classified_

I had to smile. SHIELD had everything listed in my file as _Classified_ except for The Name That Isn't My Name. I guess they had to since they can't put what they don't know. And lying about anything wouldn't work unless I told them what to put.

On one hand, no one is going to know anything about me other than The Name That Isn't My Name, which, for me, can be good. It was good because no one would know much about me; the chances of getting attached to someone are smaller. On the other hand, I'll have questions thrown at me left and right because of the lack of information.

Questions that'll put me in a position to give answers that no one needs to know.

With nothing else to do to pass the time, I began to read the other files.

The first one was of Agent Clint Barton, codename _Hawkeye_. Beneath his name in bold red letters was the word _Compromised_. Maybe that's why they are bringing me in; because one of their own is MIA.

After reading up on him, some of which I already knew after my previous encounters, I moved on to another SHIELD assassin: Agent Natasha Romanoff, codename _Black Widow_. There were a few videos about her in the field with Agent Barton and a list of her skill set.

Next was Doctor Bruce Banner. Apparently Doctor Banner was one of the many people who tried to recreate the serum that was first made and perfected in the 1940s. But it failed and turned him into a rage monster instead of a perfect soldier.

Before I could read the last file or two the pilot of the jet informed me that we would be landing on base soon. Less than a minute later we landed and the bay door opened. With the tablet in hand I walked down the ramp and was welcomed by the red headed assassin.

"Agent Romanoff." I says as I shake her hand.

"Hi. Director Fury is waiting for you in the bridge. He'll bring you up to speed."

"Great." I smiled against the dread of being recruited/forced into this whole 'saving the world' thing. Inwardly I sighed, wishing that it would be over already.

I'm led to the bridge where Fury is indeed waiting. I didn't really know what to expect SHIELD base to look like. I certainly wasn't expecting anything as advanced and technological as what was in front of me.

"Kate, thank you for understanding the situation and agreeing to help us." Fury greets as he offers his hand. I shake it and he continues. "Did you read those files Agent Coulson gave you?"

"Not all of them."

"Well, you'll have enough time to meet everyone once they get here. But first let me bring you up to speed." Fury led me over to a computer where someone had a video pulled up. I watched as it played a security video that was less than a minute long, taking in each detail, before it abruptly cut off.

"So, the man who took this... Tesseract from you," I start not knowing how I wanted to go about saying anything. "He just showed up through a space portal and turned some one your men against you before leaving. With the Cube." Oh, yeah. Speaking the words makes it sound completely ridiculous.

"That's right. His name is Loki and he isn't from around here. We don't know what his play is but the Tesseract is the key to whatever he has planned."

"Agent Barton was compromised in the attack. Is that why you brought me on? Because of my background?"

Fury turned to go back to the bridge, I follow and notice Agent Romanoff enter with two men on her heels. I recognize one as Doctor Banner, who seemed pretty nervous as he took in his surroundings. The other man I didn't know. His file is likely one that I didn't get to.

"When Agent Barton was compromised and the Cube taken from us, we weren't completely sure who we'd bring in. Agent Coulson suggested you because he, and I, believe that you're expertise in many areas are valuable to SHIELD."

It wasn't long before Fury went to greet the two men. I arched a brow at the man I didn't know handed Fury ten dollars before shaking my head in wonder. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Kate, this is Doctor Bruce Banner and Captain Steve Rogers. Doctor, Captain, this is Kate."

"Hi,"

"Ma'am,"

"Doctor Banner," I greet them with a smile, though somewhat forced. "Captain Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

After the greeting I excused myself off to the side, wanting to take everything in and to get a feel for how SHIELD works. Small information like that may help me in the future.

Fury began talking about something with Doctor Banner before having Agent Romanoff show him to the labs where most of his work would be. Agent Coulson was now talking to Captain Rogers and Fury was... somewhere. I haven't been given anything to do so I lean against the railing and watch.

"What's that?" an agent who is working at a computer looks over his shoulder at me before going back to work. I don't miss the strange look he gives me but its gone before I can figure out what it was. But I did catch a quick glimpse of his badge. His name is Sitwell.

"This is a face-trace. We can locate anyone in the world with this." he says flatly. Sounds like he doesn't like me. Great.

"That's how you're looking for Loki?"

"Right." the computer he's at beings sounding an alarm. "We got a hit. 67% match. Wait, cross-match, 79%."

"Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain, you're up." says Fury from behind me. With a nod, Captain Rogers leaves to get ready.

I had just turned back to the screen when I hear someone stop by my side. "You too, Kate." I look at Fury with narrow, questioning eyes. I was raised, trained, to be a killer. There were no sides of good and evil, of right and wrong; we read in between the grey lines. No questions asked.

Could I do this? Could I be someone who helped save a life rather than end it?

"Are you ready?"asks Fury. Though it wasn't really a question more than it was a statement, I firmly nodded. "Then suit up."

* * *

**Chapter 7:** He was looking right at me and I at him. This wasn't the Agent Barton I first ran in to in England, the one who shot me, twice, with those damned arrows of his, who stood watch over me in Boston. I know Loki did something to the master assassin.

* * *

**Glad to be in the MCU now. :)**

**C7 is finished and waiting so please Review.**


	7. Avengers Part 2

**Big thanks to bluefaerie1987 for reviewing the last chapter and to those who are now following this story.**

**So school starts in less than three weeks and I'm going to try to have all of the Avengers posted before then ****because I don't know when I'll have time to write. I'm finishing up the Battle of New York right now so updates, hopefully, will be quick and close to each other.**

**There are more hints to where my OC came from and who she worked for, too. *cough, foreshadowing, cough***

**Enjoy and check out my Polyvore page!**

Chapter 7 - Avengers Part 2

May 1st, 2011

I was taught a long time ago that fear is part of a mind game; a constant battle between the person and the fear itself. That when you give in to the fear, you're allowing it the one thing you can't give up: control.

I'm afraid of things. Being an assassin doesn't change the fact that I'm human and that I have fears. Its because I know how to control them is how I separate myself from others. Because I know that the second I give in to the fear, I won't be in control.

And I need to be in control.

Agent Romanoff comes to take me to where my suit was. She is coming to Germany too, as back up and the co-pilot for the jet. She isn't much of talker so the walk from the bridge to where they keep the suits in one in silence.

"You'll find your suit to the left. I think you're gonna like it." she tells me with a small grin as we stop in front of a door, before taking her own leave to prepare. I go the direction she points me in and see a tall locker came into view. I opened the steel door and pause at the sight.

When I was in Russia, our mission uniforms consisted of black combat pants, fitted t-shirts and combat boots. Then a mountain load of gear that was specified towards the particular mission. And we wore full masks, which, at first, I thought was strange. It wasn't until I had to take out a target in close range that I understood that keeping our identities, and ultimately who we worked for, a secret was very important.

But this isn't Russia. Not even close.

The form-fitting, sleek navy blue suit is... I don't know. Its different. Perfect even. I carefully take it down and hold it closer to inspect each detail it has to offer.

Two bold, dark grey and white stripes ran down the side of the arm sleeves and the side of the length of the legs. It has a zip up front and short collar. A belt hung neatly on the door, complete with compartments to hold whatever I needed. Matching combat boots that stopped just below my knees. Full and fingerless gloves.

And there is a mask.

Its minimal in size. The navy fabric is smooth under my fingers and appears as if it will conform perfectly around my eyes, wrapping around my head with an elastic band. I set it back in the cabinet, unsure if I want to wear it, so I move on to the next thing.

A cage of weapons is also inside the locker. Some heavy duty weapons, some more so for stealth. A smile works its way across my face.

After I'm dressed, I quickly browse through what SHIELD had to offer before I settle on one handgun and a couple of daggers. Finally I pull my hair back into a ponytail as I take a deep breath. The mask stares at me and I decide to leave it. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, and eager to get to Germany, I exit the room and make my way towards the hanger.

"All set?" Agent Romanoff asks as I walk up the ramp of the waiting jet and gives me a professional once over. She is dressed in similar attire, one that screams SHIELD, and sits in the co-pilots seat.

"Sure." I look around the jet and notice that we're missing one person. "Where's Captain Rogers?"

"Right here. And you can call me Steve." I give him a quick once over and put on a smile as I tried to not ask the obvious question.

"Very well. Though I think calling you by your codename is better suited for the field." I feel the jet take off and soon we're en route to Stuttgart. When Steve didn't say anything, I clear my throat. "So, who are you suppose to be?"

So much for not asking the obvious question.

Though it only lasted three seconds, the silence that followed my question hung thick in the air. Had I missed something? In this situation, that is very possible since I didn't have time to read up on everyone's files. This guy appears to have a military background. I'm leaning towards the US Army; the title of Captain can come from different military branches so I'm not sure. Anything else about him is all guess work on my part.

"I'm, uh, Captain America." he says it like its the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it is. If that's the case, then I have a hell of a lot to catch up on when all of this is over.

"What about you, Kate? A lot of your file was classified. What's your codename?"

Here we go.

"Officially, I don't have one. My line of work didn't require me to." I reply as I lift my shoulder.

And that was the truth. We had to be fast on our missions; speed and accuracy and stealth were musts. That was drilled into my head from the beginning. When you're out of the country before anyone realizes that your target is dead, why bother with a name that people would remember you by?

Ignoring that way of thinking Nina called me a Phoenix, but only when it was just the two of us. And while the name itself has no significant meaning, I decided to keep it close to me after I escaped. I wore the colors of a Phoenix whenever I was out searching for answers as a way to honor my best friend. Just not the reds and oranges: blue and grey, sometimes white, is the route I chose.

(Note to self: have a talk with Fury. This suit has the very colors I wore in honor of Nina. If he had the mind to include this, then he knew about her. And that fact doesn't sit well with me.)

"We're coming up on the drop zone, Kate." comes Agent Romanoff's voice, breaking me from my memories.

"Okay, Kate, I want you to keep an eye on things in the surrounding area. Loki's here then he has something planned. Radio in if you find something." orders Captain Rogers.

"Copy that," I reply. As Romanoff and the pilot guide the aircraft close to a nearby roof top, I check and double check my weapons, making sure that my daggers are secured in my boots and my sidearm in its holster. I open the bay door and ready myself as the jet hovers.

"This is as close as I can get you!" Romanoff yells to be heard over the wind. I peer down to the roof below and guess that its around a thirty-five to forty foot drop. I've jumped from higher.

Taking a deep breath as I look to the side where Steve is holding onto a strap from the side. With a shrug, I jump and count to two before tucking my body enough so that I could land and roll with momentum.

The landing is harder than I remember it ever being, but I land nonetheless. My left ankle began to pound as I stood but I ignored it. It would heal quickly enough.

_"Kate, do you copy?"_

I look up to the jet and bring my hand up t the comm in my ear as I reply, "I copy. Heading towards the North building now."

With balance and agility, I used the window seals to silently lower myself to the ground. There was a gala going on as I rounded the North building of where SHIELD got a lock on Loki. They think that his being out in the open means something, that he's not just out for the hell of it. If that's the case then we have to come at it from all sides.

The plan was very simple: Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff would confront and apprehend Loki, while I search the area to see if there was anything that the man could be after.

It doesn't take me long to know that I'm in the right place.

I find two guards with arrows deep in their chests. Dead. I'm on high alert as I radio in, "Agent Romanoff, do you know anyone else who's choice of weaponry is the bow and arrow?"

_"What did you find?"_

"Two guards...dead. Could be your men," I slide along the wall as I inch forward, keeping a sharp look out for any movement. I spot three men, dressed in tactical gear up head and duck behind a pillar. Agent Barton is with them. "Barton is here. Looks like their trying to break in to a building in the back."

I hear screams echo from the front of the building just as the door opened for Barton.

_"Hold your position." _Romanoff orders. I notice the hesitation in her next words, _"But be ready."_

I slide into a crouch and wait, but not for long. "What the-" I can't see what the men come out holding, but it definitely has to be important. The screaming out front has suddenly stopped but I don't take my eyes away from the men as the place their haul into a container.

_Disable, don't kill. They're victims._

I draw my weapon and step out of the shadows, firing multiple rounds near the unsuspecting men. I hadn't taken but two steps before Agent Barton turned my way, an arrow nocked and aimed at me.

There wasn't much to hide behind but the pillar I had just come from behind. I was able to get off three more rounds while the men holding the box made for the back of the building; right as I was close enough to go for Barton's bow. I remember very well that he's a damn good shot with it.

If I can take it away from him, then I might stand a better chance.

The arrow he shot sails over my head with a whizzing sound, missing me by an inch. He kicks me back once I am within range; I wince as his foot connects with my side. Holding my ribs, I let out a shaky breath. I watch him ready his stance, one hand holding the bow at a downward angle, the other up in a loose position that hovered around his quiver; a sign that he wants me to make the first move.

Fury told me that Loki put some kind of spell on his men; that's how they were compromised. I wasn't going to kill men who didn't know what they were doing, so I holster my weapon. A gun is not the weapon of choice for me right now.

Attacking again, I kick Barton off balance and sweep my leg under his causing him to stumble then fall onto his back with a groan; the bow slides out of his hand and away from his reach. "Agent Barton-" the name comes out strained as I fight to keep him pinned to the ground with my left knee. "Barton,"

I pin his shoulders down with my hands. Instinct tells me, screams at me, to kill him now. I could do it, should do it, because doing that would be one less problem to deal with. I grab the knife without thinking, and hold it against his exposed neck.

I look at him, wait for him to beg for his life or to snap out of Loki's hold. I press the knife harder.

I hesitate to deliver the final blow.

That hesitation gives the assassin an opening as he grabs my left arm, pulls down, and brings his knee hard into the back of my left shoulder. I hold a cry of pain as I roll out of his grasp. He's on his feet, ready for another attack.

I go to punch Barton in his jaw but he sees it coming and, somehow, pinned my left arm behind my back, and got me in a headlock.

As dots danced in front of my vision, I jumped up and pulled my knees to my chest, then used my downward momentum to toss Barton over my head.

"Snap out of it, Barton! This isn't you!" I cough. The other men who were guarding the container have long since vanished, leaving me along with the SHIELD agent. It was then that I noticed for the first time how his eyes were an electric blue. Almost glowing.

He was looking right at me and I at him. This wasn't the Agent Barton I first ran in to in England, the one who shot me, twice, with those damned arrows of his, who stood watch over me in Boston. I know Loki did something to the master assassin.

I know he's not in control.

For a second I think I see the blue glow of his eyes flicker. It happens so fast...

"Barton," I say slowly, cautiously, as I wait to see what his move will be. I lower my hands and ease my stance. "Clint?"

Agent Barton made his move, a blow to my head that happened faster than I anticipated.

I blacked before I hit the ground.

* * *

_"Kate? Kate, do you copy?"_

I groan at the sound of someone-Rogers, I think-yelling through my comm. Slowly I sit up and wince at the pain in my head from where Barton struck me. I gently touched the spot that hurt the most; in the building lights I see my gloved fingers came away slick with specks of blood. "Ah, shit."

_"Kate-"_

"Yeah, yeah, I copy." I reply. I get to my feet after taking a few seconds to catch my breath and added, "Barton got away with something. I couldn't make out what it was."

_"We've got Loki in custody; head back to the jet."_

I crouch and pick up my knife. I turn the blade end over end, waiting for it to catch my eye, but it doesn't. There isn't any blood. I shove it back into its holster. "I'm on my way."

* * *

**Chapter 8: **

I hear Agent Romanoff say something about finding a place to land, but I know I wouldn't last much longer. My right hand can't hold on anymore. I feel my strength fading. I can't pull myself up and there isn't a place to land.

I fall.

* * *

**Please take the time to shoot me a review. My muse and I love reading them and the keep the inspiration going.**


	8. Avengers Part 3

**Thanks for the support, guys! It means a lot to me. :)**

**Tony shows up for the first time in this chapter; I had fun writing him and my OC together. Thor, as well.**

**And, we get a glimpse at what my OC's "condition" is. Keep and eye out and feel free to guess at what it is.**

* * *

Chapter 8 - Avengers Part 3

May 2nd, 2011

I hesitated. I made a mistake. I didn't follow my training and nearly paid the price.

But I'm not dead. Agent Barton didn't kill me. Why not? And who's to say that I'll be as lucky next time?

"What happened back there? I didn't get a reply from you for a couple of minutes." Steve says as I come into view. I see Loki in cuffs being led on to the jet by... someone else who must be in a file I didn't get to read.

"Nothing."

"Kate-" I wave him off. Steve points to the small streak of blood that was working its way across my hairline. "He got the better of me this time. I'm okay." I say confidently as my walk past him. I'm not sure if I was saying that for his comfort or mine.

The jet took of a few minutes later on a straight course back to what I learned is called the Hellicarrier. Fitting name.

I take the first seat I see, which happens to be directly across from a silent Loki, and sighed. That hit I took hurts a lot more than it did when I woke up. The bleeding has already stopped but the pain is still there. I see aspirin in my future once we get back.

Maybe I'll sleep until we get to base.

Just for a few minutes-

"You must be Kate Lynn." comes a voice to my left. I open my eyes. Looking up I see a man in red and gold armor. "I'm Tony Stark. Or Iron Man. I'm sure you've heard of me." he flashes a smile, obviously hoping that something he said would impress me.

It doesn't.

I shake my head. "Can't say that I have." Bad idea.

"Hm, I refuse to believe that. Unless you've lived under a rock or something." Stark jabs an iron finger behind him where Rogers is standing. "Did you spend 70 years in ice, too, like Capsicle? If so, then, I completely understand."

"Fury didn't tell me he was bringing you in," Steve says to Tony without the slightest hint of humor.

"Yeah, there's a lot Fury doesn't tell you."

While the two men go back and forth, I tried to wrap my head around the "70 years in ice" part. What had he meant by that? Probably just a joke or something...

The wonder didn't last long as my head was spinning more the longer time went on and I decided to put it off until I got some aspirin. I rubbed my temple with my gloved fingers and stared blankly at the ground. A loud clap of thunder shook the jet and I shoot my eyes up. It was then that I noticed Loki staring at the seat next to him.

The straps of the empty seat were hovering in the air, only going as far as the length would allow. I watched in fascination before a flash of lightning, then another clap of thunder sounded.

I spare a glance over to Loki and caught the look he gave me. One filled with questions and wonder and curiosity.

"Where's this coming from?" another flash of lightning.

I noticed that Loki suddenly looked worried. Steve did as well. "What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?"

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Something landed on the roof of the jet, startling me. I jump up and prepare for whatever was outside; Tony and Steve do the same before Stark opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yell in question as I draw my knife.

With a heavy thud, a figure lands in the jet. I, being the closet to Loki, imminently take up a protective stance in front of him upon seeing the threat. And how angry said threat was. Sizing up the figure before me I take note of a rather large man with a red cape and a-oh shit.

"Move aside, girl. This matter does not concern you." he says in a booming, accented voice. I grip my weapon tighter, not moving an inch and shake my head.

"Not gonna happen, Blondie."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Stark come towards our nameless guest. The man threw his hammer, sending Iron Man back until he crashed into something. I didn't see where he landed as I was dodging blows from Blondie left and right, using my speed as my first defense.

Before I can use my weapon, it is knocked from my grip and disappears over the edge, then my legs are kicked from under me and I'm sent tumbling towards the open door.

In the mist of it all, I see the man leave with Loki, Stark was in tow and Steve head my way. I grabbed on to the end of the door just as my body went over the side. I looked up to see Rogers standing a few feet away, reaching out, and quickly shake my head.

I doubt I'd be able to hold on for long; the pull of the wind was strong, and my gloved grip isn't. I was also sure that Iron Man wouldn't be able to hold off Blondie and we couldn't risk Loki being killed.

I made a choice.

"Go help Stark!" I yelled through gritted teeth. "Go!"

Steve says something back but I can't hear him. My grip loosens a little more. "We need Loki alive! Just go!" I close my eyes once I see Steve back up and slide a parachute on. Finally, and without another word, he jumps.

I hear Agent Romanoff say something about finding a place to land, but I know I wouldn't last much longer. My hands can't hold on anymore. I feel my strength fading. I can't pull myself up and there isn't a place to land.

I fall.

* * *

My body spins and twists and flails as I'm pulled through the night sky. It had been awhile since I last jumped out of a plane of heights grater than fifty feet; the sensation of free falling is something that I love but probably will never get use to.

As I sail closer to my impending demise, I, strangely, think back to the harsh training I had to endure after I was injected. I learned how to do a lot of things, deadly things, awful things, things I don't want to ever use again, during those long, mission-less months until they knew I was ready for the real thing.

And while thinking, I'm reminded of something.

I know how to save myself.

Getting my body to stop twisting was no small task. I'm dizzy and the air is thin; it is taking a lot of energy and focus for me to just catch my breath. But once it was done I was now falling more like one does when they have a parachute; expect I didn't have one. Not a physical one, at least.

Not having time to waste, I hold my arms out in front of me, palms open and pointed down towards the ground. With concentration on what I want to happen, I feel a small rush of energy leave my hands and my speed begins to slow down.

I can see the tree line now and aim for a spot that isn't so clustered by the foliage. I aim for it best I can, trying to keep it straight and smooth. When I land, ungracefully, in a very small clearing surrounded by nothing but trees I have to take a moment to acknowledge that I just had to use those... powers to save my life.

That officially ends my five or six months of going without.

Hell, I can't even keep track anymore.

With surviving a fall like that taken care of, my next problem would be explaining how I survived the fall to Agent Romanoff...

Unless she already knows about me and Fury actually sent her to watch me.

That fact is all too possible.

I can't see or hear the jet any more, which makes me think that she did find a place to land. I take a few shaky steps as I gathered my bearings and noticed that the surrounding forest was really nothing but destroyed trees. Stark and Blondie must've come through this way.

I had to radio in to tell Romanoff that I was fine, then I was going to find those two-and Steve since he's likely on the ground by now-so we can get Loki and back to base. "Agent Romanoff-"

"That is an impressive trick. I was wondering how a Midgardian would survive such a fall." I turn towards the voice of Loki, my eyes searching the darkness until I see him sitting above me atop a mountain ledge. He smiles at me, but doesn't move. "Very impressive indeed."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." I reply casually. I walk towards him, up a steep hill, until he was a few feet away.

"Don't you? You play games with your mind that even you are blind to what _greatness_ and _power_ you possess."

"Power? This isn't power." I actually had to laugh at that. What did he know? "What you saw was a well trained assassin who possesses the _means_ and _knowledge_ to know how to catch herself with the aid of rope and tree branches. There is no power, at least, not the kind your thinking of. Only skill."

"Agent Barton believes there is plenty of both, in there, somewhere." I practically feel the blood drain from my face. Thankfully its dark and Loki couldn't see it. "Oh, yes. Barton's told me everything thing about you. About Russia. What they did to you. Project: Alpha. Your story is quite fascinating; you are so young. You have so much potential and yet you choose to keep it locked away, hoping that no one will ever know." he laughed and shifted his position on the ground. "You didn't think that your little secret would actually be kept in the dark, now did you?"

"Doesn't matter what you think you know." I keep my tone dry and even. I can't and won't let him know how I feel. Just then, the ground shook. I looked around for the source until my sight settled on a blue light and a cluster of falling trees. After a few seconds I hear voices approaching my location.

_"Kate? Do you copy?"_

"Yeah," it was Romanoff.

_"You need to get out of there. The jet is a mile southeast of your current position; let them get Loki."_

She must've read my mind. The last thing I wanted to do was explain, well, anything. It was better and safer for people to not know what I can do. "Copy that."

"Leaving so soon?" questions Loki from behind me. I descend the hill and walk towards a gathering of foliage. The footsteps of Steve and Tony and Blondie were closer now so I pick up my pace. "There's so much we haven't discussed yet."

I don't say anything as I push branches aside, but Loki keeps talking.

"We shall meet again, Eleven. And when we do, I'll let you in on a secret. On what makes you _so_ _special_."

* * *

When I get back to the jet, I'm met with a stone cold look from Agent Romanoff. She is leaning against the wall and her arms were folded across her chest. If I wasn't an assassin myself, an expert at reading emotions or lack there of, I wouldn't know how pissed she is. "You're alive." she says flatly. I see behind her that the pilot is slumped in his seat. I'm going to assume that she just gave him a sedative.

"Yeah. I am."

"What happened?"

"Why ask the obvious question, Agent Romanoff? Do you want me to say the words?" I furrowed my brows as I take a seat, wincing at the pull on the wound on my head. "I know Fury isn't the only person who knows about me, what I can do. I count at least four people, total, who know the truth. All of whom know how to put up a good fight if you needed to kill me." To try to kill me, I think instead. Can't kill what you can't catch.

"That's not it. I want to know what happened."

"I had to use those powers, that's what happened! After all the hard work I put in for months, wasted, just like that, because I got kicked out of a damned jet! Because I chose to help SHIELD." I pull a few leaves from my tangled hair and crumble them in my hand.

I can't tell if she was going to reply. If she is, she doesn't get a chance as the others finally boarded. I just sat there as Loki is strapped in again and the jet was prepared for take off. Blondie takes the seat next to him, clutching his hammer.

Steve and Tony opted to stand and we all rode the rest of the way in silence.

It really bothered me that because I chose to help SHIELD, because I was at a dead end at finding answers, that I had to use it. I know I didn't have much of a choice; I don't have a death wish, though what I do all but screams that.

In spite of my anger towards them, I'm going to finish what I started. When we have the Cube and the world is deemed safe-as safe as it can be, considering-them I'm taking what SHIELD promised me and not looking back.

* * *

**Chapter 9:** "I want you to understand something, Bruce. What your about to see, what I'm getting ready to tell you, is dangerous information. I need to know that you won't tell anyone about this."

* * *

**I had a blast writing Loki. Thankfully this isn't the only time he and "Kate" talk. * ehehehee ***

**Any guesses as to what her powers are? Please leave a review with your thoughts; my muse and I will be very ****grateful for the feedback.**


	9. Avengers Part 4

**Hey, all! I finally saw Guardians of the Galaxy over the weekend! Ahhh, I'm in love with a ****Raccoon!...and Star-Lord. :D**

**Big things happen in this chapter, setting up for even bigger things! I'm so excited for you to read it. I hope you like it enough to let me know what you think at the end!**

Chapter 9 - Avengers Part 4

May 2nd, 2011

_"We shall meet again, Eleven. And when we do, I'll let you in on a secret. On what makes you so special."_

Loki's words have had more of an effect on me than I would care to admit. More than I would like. He's gotten in my head with the use of his speech and twisted talk and I don't like it.

As we landed back on the Hellicarrier, what he told me played over in my mind. How much did Barton tell him? Why would the SHIELD agent tell him about my past anyway? Did the god ask for the information or was it offered? Fury previously said that SHIELD knew everything about me, and that leads me to wonder if they even knew something that I didn't? The questions as to what that could be were endless.

If SHIELD did know everything about me, which they keep saying they do, then that means Loki knows everything about me because Barton told him. The problem is that I don't know what "everything" means with them.

Spies lie all the time. SHIELD, as an agency, could know absolutely nothing about me, but say that they do so I would help them retrieve the Tesseract. What if Loki does know everything about me because Barton is close to Fury? Considering how it was Fury who found me in Russia leads me to believe that he does know everything.

When I add that to how Fury tracked me down in London, put me in a safehouse in Boston, even had my suit made in blue and grey... Then there's Romanoff and Coulson, too. They know.

This was too dangerous. I shouldn't have come.

"Debrief on the bridge in five. Kate, tell Doctor Banner when you head that way." Agent Romanoff says as SHIELD guards came to take Loki to a waiting cell. I told her that I was going to get some aspirin before the meeting when in actuality I wanted to talk to Doctor Banner for another reason entirely. But the aspirin would be nice to get, too, if I can find some strong enough.

We exited the jet, everyone a little tired from the events that took place in Germany and our unscheduled meeting with Blondie. Turns out his name is Thor. And Loki is his brother.

I did not see that coming.

"My apologies. I regret that you were harmed because of me." Thor comes up to me, cape flowing behind him and hammer in hand, with a half smile on his face.

"Its okay. You were just doing what you came to do." I wave him off as we headed towards the bridge. "No hard feelings, here. Really."

"I thank you," he pauses, an inquiring look in his eyes.

"Kate."

"I thank you, Lady Kate." I purse my lips together as I watch him leave. This mission just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

I still had three minutes before the meeting started and I really needed something to take for my head. I might have a mild concussion. Or it could be that other thing...

Oh, god, I hope it's not the other thing.

Turning towards the closest hall I noticed Steve hanging off to the side. I tilted my head to the side slightly before walking over. "You okay, Captain?"

"Yeah, I just-" he rubs the back of his neck with a gloved hand. "I'm sorry I left you alone back there. It wasn't right. I should have stayed to help you."

"You only did as I told you,"

"You can't give me orders."

"Maybe not, but making sure that Loki wasn't freed or killed was more important that saving my life." I lift a shoulder. "Plus, I managed."

For a second I think I see Rogers taken aback at my comment. He recovers quickly, "If someone can be saved, we should at least try."

I want to tell him what I really thought: that not everyone _can_ be saved. But I don't. "I'll see you on the bridge."

* * *

This is a bad idea. An idea I don't want to go through with, but absolutely need to. But, hell, what good can come from this? Especially if is doesn't go the way I want? Or need?

"Doctor Banner?" I enter the after I knock on the door. Ahead of me were the guards taking Loki to his cell. I have no idea why they were just now making it this far.

"Call me Bruce, please." he says as he removes his glasses. "What can I help you with, Kate?"

"We're having a debrief in a minute, but I wondered if you could help me with something on a... personal level."

Banner nodded slowly. I unclasped a pocket on my belt and removed a flash drive. It was the only thing I managed to sneak past SHIELD and bring with me from Boston, after SHIELD picked me up; in it are the notes about my condition after I escaped and an MRI of my brain.

This is the first time I've been close to someone who could look at the images and tell me what was going on. Maybe something good can come out of me being stuck on his ship.

"I need you to look at this, after this is all over."

"What is it?" Bruce eyes the item carefully and then looks back at me.

"It's an MRI of my brain and some notes about... me." I couldn't get into everything right now, the others were waiting. "I'll have to explain it to you later; I need some answers and I could really use your expertise." I take the drive back when Banner offers it and secures it back in my belt. "Think about it,"

Not waiting for an answer, I head towards the bridge, wishing that I had time to get something for my head.

When I arrive, I see the others are already gathered around a table and a video is playing on a screen. As I get closer I see that it is Fury talking to Loki, who is now in a cell. I take the empty seat two down from Agent Romanoff and listen in.

_"How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"_

_"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and kill because it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."_

_"Ohh. It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what real power is."_

_"Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something."_

The screen cuts off and I sigh.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce says. I lean forward with my arms resting on the table as Steve asks Thor what Loki's play is.

I wasn't prepared for what he said.

"He has an army, called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known." Thor turns to face the rest of the group and goes on, "He means to lead them against your people, and they will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army? From outer space?" Steve sounds just as surprised as I am.

I close my eyes for a moment as the situation began to set in. I didn't sign up to fight a war against an alien race. I only came because SHIELD made me a promise. A promise that they can't keep if I'm dead. It was a lot to take in, for sure, and I honestly couldn't believe it. But it was clearly happening.

Loki sitting in that cell was proof of that.

The throbbing in my head refused to go away; I rubbed my temples with my hands and opened my eyes. Tony had finally arrived and was talking about something that involved making another portal, like the one that brought Loki here, but stronger and more stable.

A few minutes later the meeting was over and I was on my way to find the MedBay. After wondering around for a few minutes I finally found my intended destination.

I helped myself to what I needed, declining aid from one of SHIELDs medics. I carefully cleaned the wound on my head first, then downed the six pills of aspirin. There wasn't much else to do; Tony and Bruce were in the lab doing whatever it is they do, Agent Romanoff headed off as soon as the debrief was over and I haven't seen Steve or Thor since I left to find the MedBay.

I was tempted to find a computer to hack into, get a head start on some things, but when I found myself standing outside the lab where I talked with Banner, I knew what I needed to do.

I peered inside and saw the two men talking about Loki's spear and the Tesseract. Letting out a shaky breath, I looked around at my surroundings. There were a few agents milling about the hall but none seemed to pay me any attention. I needed to talk to Banner, but not while Stark was in there.

Focusing on Tony, I thought of a reason to get him to leave. It has been awhile since I... controlled someone. It was something that I never liked about that serum I was given, no matter how many times they made me do it; having control over a person like this is scary. But it got the job done.

_C'mon, c'mon,_

"I'm going to get some blueberries." I sighed as I released my hold over Tony, my head spinning from what I'd just done. I lean against the wall as Stark left the lab when he looked over to me. "Hey, Kitten."

I raise an eyebrow. "Kitten?"

"Yeah. Your name is Kate and I shortened that to Kat, which became Kitten. I like it. Fits you perfectly, with your brown and blond hair." he wears a proud look on his face. "How old are you anyway? Your file gave me nothing to work with. I'm leaning towards 18. 19 tops but that might be pushing it. I'll bet you're not old enough to drink,"

"Wouldn't you like to know." I brush past him with a huff, shake my head, then turn to Banner who was working on a computer. "Bruce?"

"Yeah? Kate, hi," he sweeps his fingers across the screen, closing something out. "Is this about earlier?"

I nod.

He grabs a tablet and motions for me to come over. "Tony and I have a program running so I can work on this for you in that free time."

I reach into my belt and remove the drive. The small item feels like led in my hand, its contents never really seeing the light of day, much less someone else's eyes. I hand it over. "I want you to understand something, Bruce. What your about to see, what I'm getting ready to tell you, is dangerous information. I need to know that you won't tell anyone about this."

"I won't." he says firmly and I start to believe him. With my go ahead, he inserts the drive into the tablet. His word was going to have to be enough.

So, as he looked over the MRI images, I told him the bare minimum about my training in Russia, to when I was injected with the serum, to my escape, to SHIELD finding me and bringing me in on finding the Tesseract.

There was a lot that I left out. I only told him what he needed to know.

"I read in your file that you attempted to recreate the serum first perfected in the 40s. That's how the Hulk was born." I say as I sit on an empty desk, watching Banner as he intently stares at the screen. "Just like they did with me, except the results were completely different."

"I thought Gamma radiation was the key to the formula." he doesn't look up. "When were these taken?"

"Those were the last images taken by the team of doctors overseeing the project, so nearly two years ago. Why?"

"I might need newer images to compare them to. But I can work with these." he finally places the device down and leans against a table. "You mentioned that, other than the enhancement of what you already had, plus the enhanced strength, eyesight, hearing, endurance, things along those lines, there were other things that appeared after you were injected."

I shifted in my seat. I knew this was coming. There was no avoiding it. "I did."

"Before I read your notes," he looks me in the eye, "I need you to tell me what that is."

I purse my lips for a second. What I can do, what I was turned into, I never talked about it. The notes I took was the only way I got things off my chest. I didn't have anyone to talk to about it.

Back in Russia, only the people working Project: Alpha spoke of it with either the higher-ups or myself. It was top secret. Choosing my words carefully, I sigh. "I can... control things. Not just things," I lower my head and stare at the floor. "people, too."

* * *

**Chapter 10:** "So, you just plan on beating them to the punch? By building something big and strong enough to wipe them all out before things get out of control? You're control?"

* * *

**Well, now you all have an idea, a glimpse, at what "Kate's" powers are and what she can do. Believe me, that's just a small taste. * evil laugh * Feel free to guess what it exactly is in a review. My muse and I would love to hear from you!**


	10. Avengers Part 5

***waiting for Chris Evans to do the Ice Bucket Challenge***

**Hey all! So, this is my longest chapter yet and my favorite so far. I hope you like it and let me know what you think!**

* * *

Chapter 10 - Avengers Part 5

May 2nd, 2011

It takes a few seconds before I dare to look at Bruce. He is thinking hard about something, probably what I just told him; I could tell by the look in his eyes. The look of awe and wonder is one that I remember too well. I received that look when it was first discovered that I could control people.

"Wait, wait so, just a few minutes ago, with Tony, right before you came in-"

I nod twice. "That was me."

"Wow,"

"That's not the worst response I've gotten." I slide down to the floor and pick up the tablet. "What I can do, doesn't make me who I am. But with these... powers, I'm too dangerous. I need your help to find a way to get rid of them."

"Kate, take a breath for a minute. What you're saying likely can't be done." Bruce starts in a haste. "I've tried to get rid of the Other Guy, and things didn't end well for a lot of people."

"Bruce, if people, the wrong people, found out what I'm capable of, what I can do, I'll be hunted and turned into a weapon." I don't tell him that I am being hunted and that I am a weapon. I can't. "I need to get rid of it so it doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Will you help me?"

Before he can answer, Tony walks back into the lab with a small pack of blueberries. Bruce raises an eyebrow at me but, thankfully, doesn't say anything and gets back to his work. I mentally thank him when he slides the tablet and my drive out of sight.

"As I was saying, top ten floors, all R&amp;D. You'd love it, its candy land."

"Thanks, but last time I was in New York, I kinda broke Harlem."

Tony plays with something in his hand as he walks about Banner. "Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension, no surprises," then he stabs the item into Banner's side and the familiar sound of electricity sounded.

"Ow!"

"Nothing?"

"Hey!" I look over my shoulder as Steve enters the lab. "Are you nuts?"

"Wow, you've really got a tight lid on it don't you. What's your secret? Bongo drums, huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?"

"Funny things are."

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, Doc."

Bruce brushed the moment off. "It's all right. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."

"Stark, would you just focus?" I say with a deep sigh. I didn't know anything about Tony Stark but the more I'm around him the more I want to make him walk off the edge of the Hellica-

"You think I'm not? Why'd Fury call us all in, why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us?"

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve asks.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's "the" spy. His secrets have secrets." Stark stuffs his mouth with more fruit. "Its bugging him too. Isn't it?"

"Uhh,"

I glance at Banner. "Bruce?"

"A warm light for all mankind. Loki's jab to Fury about the Cube."

"I remember."

"Well, I think that was meant for you." he points to Stark. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"What tower?" I look at the three men, waiting for someone to fill me in. It was starting to become rather sad about how much I didn't know.

"The Stark Tower is a big, ugly," Tony gives Steve a look. "building located in New York."

"Okay. What does that have to do with the Cube?"

"Its powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustained energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?"

"That's just a prototype. I'm kinda the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at."

Bruce continues, "So, why did SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

As Tony rounds the table, I notice him remove some kind of device from his pocket. "I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into SHIELDs secure files."

"I'm sorry. Did you say-"

"JARVIS has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours I'll know every dirty secret Fury's tried to hide."

_Well, this isn't good._

My first thought is to find Fury and make him tell me all of what SHIELD had on me and Project: Alpha. With Stark hacking into those files, he'd soon discover what I was trying to keep hidden. Everyone who didn't all ready know would and I would be seen not as someone who was brought in to help save the world, but as someone who is a threat to destroy it.

_This really isn't good._

"Following isn't really my style."

"And your all about style, aren't you?"

"Of the people in this room, which one is, A, wearing a spangly outfit, B, not of use, or C, a GI Jane who clearly isn't old enough to drink?"

"Stark-" I'm about to make a remark when Bruce beats me to it.

"Steve, Kate, tell me none of this smells a little funky to either of you?"

Captain Rogers looks between the three of us, then sighs. "Just find the Cube."

"GI Jane? Really?" the sound of Steve's boots leaving the room reaches my ears as I stand in front of Tony. "And I'm 23."

I jog to catch up with Rogers. He hadn't gotten as far as I had thought, or maybe I was moving faster than I realized. Regardless, as I evened my stride to match his, I replayed the conversation we just had.

"You're right about Loki. He's smart; he wants us off our game." I glance at him. His eyes are set straight ahead but I can tell that he's listening. "But Tony is right, too. SHIELD bringing us together like this feels wrong somehow. I don't know what it is."

He still doesn't say anything. So I do, "Where are we going?"

"To get answers."

"About what?"

He looks at me. "We'll know it when we see it."

* * *

As Steve and I walked the halls of the Hellicarrier I kept an eye on the agents and guards we passed. They all seemed to be pretty occupied with other matters, leaving the Captain and I to continue undetected.

They really need to work on their security on this ship.

The further we walked, the less of SHIELD personal we came across. The lights weren't as bright and I felt that we were getting closer to something SHIELD wanted kept hidden.

"This could be something," I say going up to the first door I came across.

I ran my fingers over the keypad to room 10-C, thinking of how I wanted to proceed. It would take me longer to hack the keypad, and since it needed a numeric code the possibilities were endless.

My second option would be to pry the door open with those... powers. Get in-between the locking mechanisms, disengaging them from the inside so the door itself will slide open. For a second I think about physically pulling it open but quickly tossed the thought. I couldn't do either of those ideas with Steve here.

Guess that leaves hacking it. "This might take a few minutes, Cap. I should be able to get through this without-"

I'm cut off as I watch in awe while Steve slides it open with next to no effort. "Um, that will work, too."

He steps aside slightly and motions to me. "Ladies first."

I give him a quick nod and break the threshold of the door frame. The room is dimly lit with lights hit above us. I can see different levels lined with boxes of some sort. I needed to see what was inside of them.

Backing up a few steps, I got a running start towards the nearest wall and pushed off of it easily, aiming for a the second level. I grabbed onto the railing and flipped myself over, landing silently on the grated flooring. Steve joins me a few seconds later.

"Where'd you learn that?" he asks as I being walking.

I shrug. "Ever hear of parkour?"

Not waiting for a reply I go back to the matter at hand. I come up on a wall lined with steel boxes and thankfully they aren't locked. It's when I lift the lid and peer inside that the flashes come at me full force.

I'm sitting across from my primary doctor, the one overseeing the medical side of Project: Alpha. I know it's summer time in Russia but I'm freezing. I know I just came back from testing in the Cryo tube. What they were testing me for this time, they didn't bother to tell me. I just can't get warm.

I'm answering random questions when a guard comes in suddenly speaking quickly in Russian, no, German. _Why German?_

I know I'm not suppose to listen in, I will be punished if I'm caught, and while my German isn't great, I do.

They discuss weapons, older weapons, that haven't been used in decades. They want to know if any more exist and where to find them. How to activate them. I catch a quick glimpse of a photograph before I'm told to leave.

The weapon in that photo is the same one I'm looking right now. I'm sure of it.

The weapon in the box is old, but well kept. Along with it is a mask and a few other items I ignore. Suddenly things begin to come together.

"I know what SHIELD is doing. We need to go." I say to Steve who has a hard look on his face. I can tell that he recognizes the weapons, how or from what, he doesn't say. Finally he nods and, with the weapon in hand, follows me back to the lab.

While walking back, I hear Agent Romanoff's voice come through my comm. I bring my hand up to my ear as she says, "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab; send Thor as well."

Oh, shit.

* * *

"What is Phase 2?"

I clench and unclench my hands as I replay the reason why SHIELD was in possession of German weapons. Old, deadly, German weapons. I don't even care how they came across them or how got them. The fact that something this dangerous was just lying around, waiting to be powered up again, unhinged me.

That was problem number one.

"Phase 2 is SHIELD using the cube to make weapons." Steve sets the gun down with a clang on a table in the lab. "Sorry. Computers were moving a little slow for us."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that-"

"I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" Tony spins a computer screen to face us. I narrow my eyes as I look at plans for a new weapon.

"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit."

"Were you ever going to tell me that you were in possession of these weapons?" I take a step closer to Fury.

Agent Romanoff and Thor walk in a moment later and Bruce asks if the SHIELD assassin knew anything about Phase 2.

I tune out what the rest of the group was saying, instead wanting to get Fury to talk. "Do you know how dangerous those weapons are? Or could still be? Why didn't you tell me about them up front? I didn't sign up to be a piece in your secret games!"

"I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to make weapons of mass destruction!"

"Because of him." Fury points to Thor.

"Me?"

Fury goes on a lot rant about how Earth isn't prepared for outsiders. How the world is filling up with people who can't be matched or controlled. He looks at me, his good eye narrowing intently. I hold his gaze before he turns away.

"So, you just plan on beating them to the punch? By building something big and strong enough to wipe them all out before things get out of control? You're control?" I shake my head.

"Like you controlled the cube?"

"Your work on the Tesseract is what drew Loki and his allies to Earth. It is a signal to all the realms that Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose as the pounding behind my eyes becomes unbearable. Everyone is yelling to be heard over someone else. I can feel something rising up inside me, something I can't control or keep inside.

That's problem number two.

I clench my hands, count to ten in Russian, then slowly unclench them.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos."

"That's his MO, isn't it?" I see Bruce with his arms folded across his chest. "I mean, what are we? A team? No, we're a chemical mixture that creates chaos. We're a time bomb."

I couldn't agree more. "I don't know why you thought bringing us together would work, Fury. Clearly this plan of yours isn't going to work."

"You need to step away." Fury turns from Banner to me. "Don't make me do something that I'll regret, Kate." I know what he's referring to but I ignore it.

"Something you'll regret?" I laugh halfheartedly. "Are you serious-?"

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" to my right Tony clasps Steve on the shoulder, who doesn't take kindly to the action.

"You know damn well why. Back off!"

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

Steve snickers at Tony's comment. "Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you fight for is yourself." Steve stares Tony down and continues. "Your not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire."

"Always a way out. You know you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

Tony closes the distance between him and Steve. "A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."

It was Tony's comment about Rogers when things clicked.

The way Steve acted, held himself, him opening that door like it was nothing, hell even the way he dressed...

_"It was during World War II that a young man was injected with this serum and turned in to a super soldier."_ That's what Agent Coulson told me back in my flat a few weeks ago. He said that the serum I was injected with was an attempt at recreating that lost formula.

I know I lack a lot in my American history but I now know this much: Steve Rogers is that super soldier. Even though I never got to read his file, and even though I don't know how he looks so young despite having to be over 90, at the very least, it makes sense now.

"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds."

"You people are so petty, and tiny."

"Yeah, we're really acting like a team." the pain in my head is still growing, but I continue to push it aside. I brush my hair away from my face. "This was a bust from the beginning, Fury. You know it."

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner to his-"

"Where? You rented my room?"

"That was just in case we needed-"

"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't. I know, I've tried." that comment from Banner was unexpected.

"Bruce," I sigh but he goes on.

"I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the Other Guy spit it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk."

I tense, more than I already was, when Banner reached behind himself and grabbed Loki's spear. Purely out of instinct, not because I wanted to hurt Bruce, I placed my left hand on the gun in my thigh holster. I was ready for whatever came my way. Because that's how I was trained.

"You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?" he picks up the spear.

The room goes silent.

"Doctor Banner?" I hear Steve say but I don't bother looking his way. My eyes are focused on Bruce. "Put down the scepter."

He looks down at the weapon like he didn't ever realize he was holding it. I wait a beat to see what happens when a computer behind be starts beeping. Bruce sets the spear down on the table.

"Got it."

"Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all."

"You've located the Tesseract?"

"I could get there fastest." says Tony.

I arch a brow. "Are you sure about that?"

"You aren't going alone." Rogers grabs Stark's arms; Tony slaps it away.

"You're gonna stop me?"

"Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds."

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit."

I work my way in between the two bickering men, pressing my hands against their chests and pushing back. "While you two children fight it out, I'll go get the cube. That way I can get out of this hell hole and on with my life." I declare, looking from Tony to Steve.

"This isn't a place for a little girl." I stumble back from Tony pushing me out of the way at the same time I hear Banner say, "Oh, my god."

Before I can question anything, a forceful blast knocks me back into the wall, glass rains down on top of me and the pounding in my head becomes too much.

That is problem number three.

* * *

**Chapter 11:** I stop fighting whats inside me; I give into the power. In seconds, before he knows what happened, the Director of SHIELD is hovering a foot off the ground, an invisible noose tight around his neck.

* * *

**I bought The Winter Soldier on digital download on the 19th, so I can begin to outline how "Kate" will ****play into that. I already have her real name and how she'll find out more about her past so I hope you stay for the long haul.**

**There is only a few more chapters left in the Avengers arc of Clandestine but the journey is far from being over.**

**Please Review! :)**


	11. Avengers Part 6

**Big thanks to Lizeyli and G-Tr for reviewing C10, and to those who are now following or have favorited _Clandestine._**

**A lot of action in this chapter, you get to see more of "Kate's" powers and how she uses them in a fight. I'm excited for this and the Battle of New York, that's approaching fast.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11 - Avengers Part 6

May 2nd, 2011

As the force of the explosion tosses me through the air, time seems to slow down. In that instant, in that second, I think that I'm dying. I think that they won and that I'll die never knowing about my past.

I feel my body hit the wall with a crack, I feel my legs give way underneath me and crumble to the ground, I feel the needles in my head stab me a thousand times over. There's so much pain... I just want it to end-

But just as soon as the familiar pain washes over me, like an uncontrolled animal, it lessons enough to where I can open my eyes.

I let out a shaky breath as I push myself up off of the floor. My eyes scan the destroyed lab and I notice that Bruce and Agent Romanoff are nowhere to be seen. Thor is gone, too. On my right I see Steve and Tony run into the hallway with frantic looks on their faces.

Then I see Fury.

Through the clouds of dust I see his hand go up to his ear. His lips are moving but I can't hear what he's saying._  
_The light from the morning beams easily through the shattered window, and a breeze ruffles my hair. In two strides I'm in front of Fury, my eyes looking straight into his good one. "Where is it?" I demand.

"What are you talking about?" Fury's says quickly. I can see that he is scanning the area around us for something else.

"The information SHIELD has on me! Where is it?"

"Kate-"

I stop fighting whats inside me; I give into the power. In seconds, before he knows what happened, the Director of SHIELD is hovering a foot off the ground, an invisible noose tight around his neck. He gasps for air that can't reach his lungs, but he's utterly calm. "Kate," he manages.

"Tony hacked your server, he found out about Phase 2. He could find out about me and I can't have that!" I lift him up a little higher, narrowing my eyes. "Where!"

"That information...is too valuable." he gags. "It's safe in a separate location. Your...s-safe."

I'm out the door and into the chaos filled hall before Fury lands on the ground. I'm running against the flow of agents. I don't know what I'm heading into but I need to find out where my information is really kept. I have just reached a computer room when I hear Fury's voice; he is telling Coulson to lock down the detention section and things come together.

Loki.

All I want is to find out where that information is kept and find a way off this ship. With or without SHIELD's help, I was going to get answers. But something was gnawing at me from the inside; I don't know why I couldn't force myself to leave them to fight against Loki.

I'm no hero. I've been everything but a hero.

With a low growl, I leave.

_Priorities changed._

I run back into the hall. Its clear so I slow my advancement, carefully placing one foot in front of the other, body ready for a fight. The compromised SHIELD agents are here for Loki, which means Barton is here, too. The only weapons I have are a knife and my sidearm that only has a few rounds left. It won't be an easy fight to win if I run into someone. Especially if that someone is Agent Barton.

I suddenly pick up on the soft pattering of footsteps, slowly moving in my direction. I step inside a doorway and press my back against the wall, keeping myself hidden in the shadows as I wait for them to come to me. I tell myself that I shouldn't kill them, that they're victims. But I've already made that mistake once, and look where it got me.

I'm not going to make that same mistake again.

As soon as I see the barrel of the rifle, followed by the guards steady arm, I bring my elbow down on it. A loud crack, then a shout of pain sound. Two more guards aim their weapons at me when they see and hear their partner scream. Instantly I use the man as a shield, his body taking the wave of bullets meant for me.

When the firing stops, I drop the dead weight and grab the guard closet to me, pulling their weapon forwards and down as I thrust my knee up into his stomach. He stumbled forward against the forceful impact but doesn't relent. I feel him wrap his arms around my leg and uses his weight advantage to slam me to the ground, then punch his fist into my abdomen and ribs repeatedly. I manage to roll onto my back, him half on top of me and half on the ground. With a burst of strength I reach my hand around his head and pull back hard, ignoring the sound of his neck shattering.

I shove him off and scramble to my feet. I'm wondering where the third man went when I'm struck from behind, caught in between releasing the second dead guard and looking for the third guard. Falling forward with the momentum I go to sweep my leg underneath him but he jumps out of the way in time. I look up from my spot on the ground and see his finger tighten against the trigger of his rifle. Without thinking, I raise my hands in front of myself just as he shoots. I expect the bullets to strike my flesh, ending my life where I lay but the pain never comes. My eyes widen slightly as I see the bullets strike something before falling to the ground harmlessly. I look down at the bullets then to the man who seemed to be just as surprised as I am. Reacting before he does, I lower my hands and reach for my gun, emptying two rounds into his exposed neck.

My brows come together in confusion. _That's new, _I think.

As the body falls I slowly get to my feet, pushing the pain away. My hands are shaking and I can't stop them. I feel numb, emotionless, like I use to when I was sent to kill someone. A feeling I thought I left behind. I guess it found a way to come with me.

"Kate!"

I look up to see Coulson standing feet away. His face is close to unreadable but I can tell he saw what I just did. Not the killing of three 'SHIELD' agents. The other part.

The gun in my hand feels heavy. I holster it faster than I realize, choosing to use my body as my weapon going forward unless required. "What's going on?" I ask though I know the answer.

Agent Coulson kindly doesn't reply to my question. "Come with me. We're going to lock down the detention section."

"So, it is Barton? He's here to break Loki out?" I growl. My hands form a tight fist, the power in me raging. The pain in my head is all too present. So is my mistake. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"Don't do that to yourself, Kate."

"If I had then we wouldn't be here right now-"

"I know you had a chance to kill Barton and didn't take it. Don't think that this is in any way your fault. He can still be saved."

"And if he can't? Is the price of my not killing him when I had the chance going to be paid by someone on this ship?"

A flash of comfort crosses Coulson's eyes. "You made the right call."

I don't tell him how Barton is only alive because I hesitated, not because I thought he could be saved. How am I suppose to agree with him about being able to save someone when I don't believe it myself?

I follow Coulson to the armory where he unlocked a large cage and pulled down a unique and deadly looking weapon. He motioned for me to select something; I shake my head. "What's the plan?" I ask.

"We need to keep Loki contained. Anyone who tries to release him, we stop."

Coulson leads and I follow, watching our six, ready for anything. We walk down a long hall, take two turns before he points straight ahead. I nod understandingly and proceed forward and down another hall.

I come up on an open door and peer around the corner just as Thor charges Loki. I watch as Loki's appearance shimmers and Thor literally runs through him, before falling inside the now locked cage. I flex my hands and hold my position.

"Are you ever _not_ going to fall for that?" asks Loki. Thor wastes no time in slamming his hammer against the thick glass. A locking mechanism shifts, as does the cage. I fight the urge to go forward and help, but I can see Coulson coming up behind a guard.

_Just a few more seconds..._

"The humans think us immortal." Loki laughs as he goes to the control panel, pressing a few buttons and opening the door beneath the cage. "Should we test that?"

Agent Coulson takes out the guard, who goes down in a heap; that's my cue. "It's over, Loki."

"Move away, please."Coulson walks forward, the weapon aimed. I step out of the shadows and on to the platform behind Loki. I take a few steps forward, catching Thor's gaze with my own. He nods.

"You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does." Coulson flicks the power button on after Loki had raised his hands and backed away from the controls. "Want to find out?"

It happens too fast. There was nothing I could do.

I can't stop Loki from-somehow-appearing behind Coulson with his spear in hand. I can't warn him. I scream just as the blade is run through the agent's chest, staining itself red with his blood.

"No!"

I can hear Thor yell as Coulson falls limply to the ground, I hear his fist pound against the glass. I rush forward but am stopped in my tracks by Loki. Guards surround me, pulling my arms behind my back and forcing me to my knees. I struggle against their hold as Loki smirks at Thor, then smiles at me, before he returns to the controls. The smile doesn't leave his face as he presses the release button.

I watch helplessly as the cage, and Thor, are dropped.

"I had hoped that you would come see me, Eleven; I was sure that the curiosity of your history would bring you to me." the grip around my arms grow tighter. "You must care about finding out the truth. About that power inside you. I know you stand to gain something if you find the Tesseract. Something personal. But do you know what you stand to lose?"

I pull myself forward, trying to break free. I'm able to loosen the hold a little bit before it returns and an arm is wrapped around my chest. "Do you not want to know?"

"Let go of me and I'll tell you what I want," I say through clenched teeth.

"Barton told me that the serum, the power, coursing through your veins is very unique. SHIELD is worried about it becoming too much. He said that even you can't control it; that's why they see you as a threat." he steps closer to me, and crouches to my level. It takes everything I have to not fight harder against the guards holding me. I don't want to give them reason to put a bullet in my head. "You don't have to fight it, Eleven. Give in to it. Become it." he spreads his arms out and grins even bigger, his accented voice adding, "Show the world the real you."

"Let go of me!" my yell is welcomed with a strike to my head. My vision goes dark around the edges.

"You're going to lose." I lift my head in the direction of where Coulson sits slumped against the wall, blood still running out of his chest.

"Am I?" Loki turns from me to Coulson.

"It's in your nature."

"Hmm. Your heroes are scattered. Your flying fortress falls from the sky." Loki moves closer to the SHIELD agent. "Tell me, where is my disadvantage."

"You lack conviction."

"I don't think I'm-" an orange blast knocks into Loki, sending him flying back through a wall. The guards holding me are surprised and I'm quick to use that in my favor.

I throw my head back into the one whose arm is around my chest. His grip is gone and the room I have to move I use to pull the person on my right side down close enough to where I can punch him. He stumbles and I grab the back of his jacket and slam his face into the nearby railing.

I reach into my boot and grab my knife. One guard reacts fast and grabs my wrist, then pulls me to my feet. I kick out, connecting with his knee; it cracks loudly under my force and the hold he has on me is gone. I slash the blade across his neck and he crumbles to the ground.

Turning to the last man, I size him up. He's bigger but I'm much faster. Before he can make a move, I throw my knife and it lands on his throat.

"So, that's what it does."

I'm breathing hard as I run over and slide to a halt by Coulson's side. I can tell that the wound is bad, really bad. I shake my head. "Just hang on, okay? Just-" This is my fault. Barton is still alive and Coulson is dying. All because of me. "Just hold on,"

"Kate," I see Coulson's hand move the tiniest to where Loki was shot through the wall. I know what he wants me to do, it just doesn't feel right. "go."

But I'm already backing up. I can't let Loki get away. I can hear someone running this way and figure that it's someone who can actually help him. I rest my hand on the burnt wall and look over my shoulder at a fading Phil Coulson. I think he manages a smile.

Even though I'm far away and his voice is in a whisper, I can clearly hear his what he says to me, "Don't forget... yourself."

I run through the halls at a dead sprint, my boots slamming against the floor. I dodge debris and bodies, my hair flying behind me. I don't stop. I'm not certain which way Loki headed but my guess is, since he's trying to escape, he'd head a jet.

Using my memory to get back to the landing strip, I take different turns and halls as I pursue Loki. I can make out the sound of an aircraft engine roaring to life. I just broke the threshold of the door when something flashes towards my chest. Reacting fast I cross my arms in front of myself, letting them take the brunt of the blow.

I slide back into the wall; something pins me in place. I see Loki standing in front of me, his expressing unreadable. I push myself away from the wall, ready to charge again, when something sharp is pressed to my chest. Right over my heart.

"Ahh, I wouldn't do that." Loki says as I glance down and see that the end of his scepter, still red with Coulson's blood, is hovering over my chest. "There's something about you. It's not just heart you have, there's something else. Something," the scepter begins to glow that electric blue, like Barton's eyes. "something I need."

I can feel its energy, fighting against my body, trying to enter itself. Loki's eyes are staring intently at mine, like he knows something I don't.

I blink once, fighting the urge to do what this man says, when he is pulled backwards by an invisible force. He slides across the runway and with him no longer holding me up I fall to my knees.

I gasp for air, fight the sudden cold in my body. I open my eyes and I watch as Loki take off in a jet. My shoulders fall in defeat.

I failed.

_"Agent Coulson is down."_

_"Medics are headed to your location."_

_"They're here. They called it."_

I failed.

* * *

I don't remember arriving on the bridge. I don't remember shedding my gloves or changing the shirt under my suit. I don't remember letting my hair down. And I don't remember sitting as far away as I possibly could from Stark and Rogers who had gathered around the table.

But I remember Coulson dying. I wasn't there, but it was my fault. My hands are covered in his blood.

Before we confronted Loki, I had asked him who would pay the price because I didn't kill Agent Barton back in Germany. Though he didn't answer then, I have one now: too many.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." I lift my eyes just as Fury tosses something towards Steve. I watch Rogers pick up a trading card and turn in over in his hands. "I guess he never did get you to sign them."

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner, Thor... I got nothing for you. I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." Fury sighs. "Yes, we were going to build and arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier.

"There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to and fight the battles that we never could."

I clenched and unclenched my hand, trying my best to get rid of the numbness. The pain in my head is just a dull pounding; I noticed that as I watched Loki escape in a jet. Right now I wish for it to come full force and replace the cold numbness.

Fury is on my left, standing with his hands resting on the chair. He looks at me as he talks, holding my gaze longer than anyone else's. I get the feeling that he's trying to silently tell me something, but I don't know what. I can't look at him anymore.

"Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea. In heroes."

Tony pushes himself to his feet and leaves. I watch him go out of the corner of my vision, wanting to follow his lead but not trusting my legs to carry me.

"Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

Steve exits soon after. I sit plastered to the chair tracing my finger around the edge of a trading card. What I had previously thought about SHIELD has, albeit slightly, changed. I thought that they just wanted me close to make sure that I didn't do anything, and that still may hold truth. But they know my history and figured that I could do more good than harm if I was thrown into saving the world with six other people.

But Coulson is dead because of me. How can they want someone like me, a woman who leaves bodies in her wake, on their 'team', fighting evil and protecting those who can't protect themselves?

* * *

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot."

"Why? For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone."

"He was doing his job and he wasn't alone. Kate was with him."

"Yeah, a lot of good that kid did. How can we work with someone like her if we can't trust her to watch our asses?"

"Someone like her?"

"Yeah, someone like her. We don't know anything about her. Is she a spy? An assassin? I couldn't find anything on the kid; there's something different about her. Besides, Coulson should've waited; he was out of his league."

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."

"Right, I've heard that before."

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

"We are _not_ soldiers! I'm not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I. He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now we gotta put that behind us and get this done. Now, Loki needs a power source, if we put together a list-"

"He made it personal."

"That's not the point."

"That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart."

"Yeah, divide and conquer is great, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right. I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"That's just previews. This, this is opening night. And Loki, he's a full tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a building with his name plastered-.

"Sonofabitch."

* * *

**Chapter 12:** "Fury, SHIELD, they made a mistake bringing me in to find the Cube. And I made a mistake agreeing to help; Coulson paid the price. I'm not the type of person you want saving the day. My past, who I am..." I sigh, not wanting to go on. "Don't make the same mistake they did."

* * *

**The beginning of the ****Battle of New York begins in the next chapter. *cheers***

**I have a little bit of editing to do for chapters 12 and 13, then I'll be done with the _Avengers_ portion of _Clandestine._ :)**


	12. Avengers Part 7

**Big thanks to those who reviewed C11 and to the new followers. Welcome to my _Clandestine_ world!**

**Please ****enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12 - Avengers Part 7

May 2nd, 2011

_"Yeah, a lot of good that kid did. How can we work with someone like her if we can't trust her to watch our asses?"_

I walk away from where Steve and Tony were talking-away from where Coulson died. I don't know how I ended up there but I did and I caught most of their conversation; I saw no need to listen to it all. Now, I'm set on leaving so I continue on through the partly destroyed halls of the Hellicarrier with Stark's words repeating in my ears. He's right and that doesn't bother me. I'm a killer who doesn't save people and only works alone. That's how I was trained and how I've survived since I left Russia. That's the reason why I'm still standing; because I don't have to watch out for anyone but myself.

I now see that, on this ship, I have nothing left to give to SHIELD. They have nothing I want that will make me stay. I can get answers another way. Agent Coulson is dead and nothing is going to change that. But I can make sure that no one else will die because of me.

"Kate!" I tell myself not to stop. The heavy footsteps of Captain Rogers come closer. "Kate, hold on! Kate!"

I halt abruptly. I face him, causing him to pull up short, not sure what I'm going to say. I narrow my eyes. "Let me save you a breath, Captain. Stark is right; you all don't trust me and you have no reason too. I can't watch your backs because I'm use to working alone. Agent Coulson's death is on me as much as it is Loki. So, I'm leaving and going back to looking out for myself." I turn to go, not giving him a chance to respond. I would've made it to the door if he hadn't side-stepped me; his large frame was blocking my only exit and his blue eyes locked on to mine. He held his hands up and spoke quickly.

"We know what Loki is planning." he fills me in on the god's plan and how war was ensuing. "Ignore Stark; forget what he said. We really need your help."

"Believe me, your better off without it." I move to go around him and he surprisingly steps aside. I place my hand on the door and push on it slightly when he says, "Why?" I freeze.

"I'm a killer, Steve, not a hero. I don't save people. It's not what I do." I don't realize that I'm telling him this; the words just pour out and I do nothing to stop them. "Fury, SHIELD, they made a mistake bringing me in to find the Cube. And I made a mistake agreeing to help; Coulson paid the price. I'm not the type of person you want saving the day. My past, who I am..." I sigh, not wanting to go on. "Don't make the same mistake they did."

"You don't need to be a hero. Just be yourself." he says it like he means it, which I find strange. "I know you had the chance to kill Agent Barton in Germany, but you didn't. And I know that Agent Coulson's death isn't your fault. His blood is on Loki's hands and we can't let him get away."

"We?"

"You, me, Stark, whoever. The fact of the matter is that Loki is going to start a war and we're the only one's who can stop him."

I look over his shoulder at the shrinking image of Stark running in the opposite direction. I assume that he is heading towards his armor, leaving Rogers to talk to me. How nice of him.

"Kate?" says Steve, getting my attention. "Please,"

I'm at a complete lost. My mind tells me to leave while I still have a chance but my body is ready for a chance to prove that I'm not just a killer. That I can be something, someone, more than what I was made to be. I lower my head, releasing a shaky breath. "Okay."

He nods firmly. "C'mon,"

I follow him wordlessly down a hall. I notice two things at once; that we're in the MedBay and that mead no longer hurts. I'm going to chalk up the latter as a win while I still can.

Captain Rogers opens a door and steps inside. I say back, making sure that I can see who he was talking too. Agent Romanoff is sitting on a cot and Agent Barton is just exiting the restroom with a towel in hand. The archer looks worn, but better than the last time I saw him.

"Time to go."

"Go where?"

"We'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"

Barton mutters an affirmative reply, "I can."

"You got a suit?" Barton nods. "Then suit up."

* * *

I follow the others to where our suits and weapons are kept. Going to my weapons cage first, I holster two handguns on my thighs, and an eight set of throwing knives in the holsters in my boots. Two daggers follow, then extra mags go into my belt right before I reach for my full gloves.

I had just finished strapping them on when something falls to the ground. Bending down, I see that it's the mask; the one I chose not to wear to Germany. Other than knowing that I'm heading straight into a war against an alien race led by a god, I didn't know what I was getting into. This wasn't like any mission I had carried out in my past. Was I even prepared for it?

I've joined the others, all dressed and ready, before I can answer my own question. We head towards the jets, I walk on Romanoff's left.

"Hey, you guys aren't authorized to be in here." says a tech guy as he board the aircraft. I lift my brow just as Rogers says, "Son, just don't."

The man leaves, probably fearing for his life, and Romanoff and Barton take to the controls. The jet roars to life and in seconds we're air born, following Iron Man to our New York destination.

"ETA three minutes." I grab a strap hanging above me as the jet gains speed. Barton's words repeat in my mind; less than three minutes before I'm fighting in a war.

Without thinking I reach into my pocket and pull out my mask. I'm reminded off all the lives I ended, all the misery I've caused and wondered how I ended up in this mess. I think about Nina. I wonder what she'd think of me if she were still alive...if I hadn't pulled that trigger. I sigh.

"Phoenix." the words leave my mouth without consulting my brain.

"What?" I look up from my mask, Rogers is looking over at me. Barton and Romanoff aren't but I can tell that they are listening.

I think back to when we were heading to Germany; Rogers told me that his codename was Captain America and, from the files I read, Barton's was Hawkeye and Romanoff's was Black Widow. I don't think I really needed one, but I like the sound of it.

"Unofficially, that was my codename. That's what I want to be called in the field. Phoenix." I turn the mask around and close my eyes. I lift my hands and place the fabric around my face, adjusting it until the fit was perfect. When I opened my eyes, I could see Stark Tower... and a beam of blue light shooting up towards the sky.

"Stark, we're on you're three heading northeast." calls Black Widow through the comms. Through my own I hear Tony reply, _"What? Did you stop for drive-throu? Swing up park, I'm going to lay 'em out for ya."_

The jet takes a sharp turn, following the directions. I hang on to the strap, and watch as the two assassins fire the jets weapons. Iron Man leaves to take on the next wave still pouring though the portal in the sky.

"Nat?"

"I see them."

Thor and Loki are fight on top of Stark Tower. Hawkeye and Black Widow line up a shot at the Loki, but the latter is quick and fires a blast that takes out our engine.

My grip tightens as the jets sails out of the sky. Barton and Romanoff do all they can to lessen the damage we take in the hard landing. We slide to a stop and the bay door opens. I'm the first one out, followed by Rogers and the assassins.

The chaos around is great. Dust clouds the air, vehicles are overturned, buildings are on fire, people run for anyplace they might be safe.

"We gotta get back up there." Rogers says. We run through the streets, dodging anything and everything, when a loud roar echoes throughout the streets. I watch in horror as a large reptile like creature flies..swims?..through the portal and crashes into buildings.

"I don't think I brought enough knives for this," I mutter, mostly to myself.

The creature swims over our heads and lines are shot out of its sides. I watch as smaller aliens land on the buildings around up, clinging to the walls like spiders. Screeching and yells and screams are the only things I hear.

"Stark, you seeing this?" Captain America questions.

_"Seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"_

"Banner?"

_"Just keep me posted."_

I take cover behind an overturned van, the others follow suit. I check and ready one handgun and wait for a plan to be made.

"We have civilians are trapped down there," Hawkeye points just north, then northeast of our position. "and there." I peer around the van to get a better look at the situation.

"They're fish in a barrel down there." Rogers turns to the three of us. I empty three rounds into on coming hostiles, covering Barton as he takes up another position.

"We got this. Its good. Go." Romanoff urges Rogers.

"Do you think you can hold them off?"

"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure."

"Kate," I turn towards Captain America when he calls me. "cover me twenty yards then get those people out of there."

At his nod, I fire at the hostiles, distracting them as Rogers made for the bridge. I wait until he disappears over the edge before I make a break northeast. Using the debris as my cover, I go unnoticed and quickly take in the situation.

I count five aliens proceeding on to a restaurant, weapons raised and aimed at the few people still trapped inside. Without thinking I jump from my spot, a throwing knife in hand, and take down the one closest to the door with a deep slice on its neck.

It doesn't put up a fight as I caught them by surprise, but the other four recovered fast and now had their large guns aimed at me. I overturn a stand, letting the wood and fruit take the brunt of the blow, and rush into the building.

There are at least ten people scattered about the room; I only have second to get them out of the line of fire before this place turns into rubble.

"Where's the back exit?" I asked, catching the attention of an employee binding behind the counter. I'm sure my attire caused him to do a double take, but I didn't linger on it. "Where is it?"

"T-through the kitchen. That way," he stammers while pointing behind me. I catch his gaze and look behind me; the aliens are closer now, approaching the front.

"Everybody out the back! Go!" I had no sooner yelled before the glass windows shattered behind me. Employees ushered people through the kitchen. An older couple was lagging behind the others, their paces slow but determined. "Keep moving! Go!"

I block the way to the civilians with my body, not letting the aliens get a clean shot off. I dodge a blast meant for me and kick out, catching the leg of one of them. Another fires but I pull his downed partner in front of me; he crumbles to the ground. I lower myself to the ground and take out my gun; the bullets hit their armor and do no damage. A quick glance over my shoulder and I see that the couple is now out of sight. I follow them to the kitchen, a plan forming in my head.

"Hey, ugly! Over here!" I hear them snarl at me at my calls. _Get them into the kitchen!_

Backing up slowly, I lead them to the kitchen. They follow eagerly and I know I only have one shot at this. I hear the thick back door click shut and I know that the people made it out safely.

I reach the stove and pull the gas tube out of the wall. The smell is strong and I gag. Almost ready but I can't leave yet. I'm crouching behind a cabinet so they can't see me; I can hear them overturning things as they search.

_Wait, wait..._

Finally I see that their close enough. I grab two more knives and stab the two closet to me in the leg; they howl in pain and fire aimlessly as they try to find me. I crawl under a chair, jump over the counter, back the way I came, while firing my bullets at the exposed gas. When my gun clicks empty I turn around and hold my hands up right as a fireball roars towards me. I focus my energy on it, trying to keep it as small and contained as I can. My boots are digging into the ground in search of traction; I'm sliding backwards against the strength and power of the flames.

Suddenly, I'm thrown backwards through the broken windows and into the streets with a pained halt. I cough to rid my lungs of dirt and smoke, a wince leaves my mouth in protest of the sharp movements.

I'm on my feet and take in the scene. The building it still standing, but black smoke is pouring from the front. I feel something running down my nose; when I look at my glove, it comes away red.

I head back for the bridge and when I arrive Barton and Romanoff are busy taking care of a small swarm of aliens. I dispatch three more with my knife before Rogers and Thor show up.

"What's the story upstairs?"

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable."

_"Thor's right. We've got to deal with these guys."_ Tony's voice comes through the comms.

I wipe my nose again. "And how do you suppose we do that?"

"As a team." I might now work well with others, but Captain is right. That's the only way we'll get this done.

"I have unfinished business with Loki." Thor growls.

"Yeah? Well, get in line." states Hawkeye.

"Save it. Loki's going to keep this fight on us and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We've got Stark up top. He's going to need us too-" I look around as Rogers talks when the puttering of an engine catches my attention and tilt my head at the sight of Bruce.

"So, this all seems horrible." he says.

"I've seen worse."

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse."

I take a few steps closer. "Nice of you to join us."

"Kate, I-" he lowers his voice at the same time I bring my brows together. "Back on the Hellicarrier, I have a few minutes look over your notes. I don't understand it yet but you can't use your powers."

"Stark, we got him." I hear Rogers say behind me.

"What are you talking about?" he wasn't making sense; I know I'm already hesitant to use my powers, but after what happened a few minutes ago, I think that I'm better off using them in this fight. My bullets can only do so much and I don't have many knives left.

"Just, don't use them. Okay? I don't understand them yet but I have a feeling that-"

_"Banner?"_

"Just like you said."

_"Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."_

At Stark's words I look up. Iron Man comes flying around a building, with a hostile on his tail. Oh, boy.

"Dr. Banner? Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Cap." Banner turns around and smirks. "I'm always angry."

The enormous creature is on Iron Man's heels. I take a few steps back at the same time Bruce walks forward. I ready myself for the impact.

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

I look up as Iron Man flies towards the portal with the nuke over his head. He angles his body and begins to climb the side of the Stark Tower when the unthinkable happens.

He starts to slow down.

* * *

**There is one more chapter of the Avengers arc, then I'm going to move on to Iron Man 3. I can't wait to explore more of Tony's relationship with my OC. More of her backstory will be explored and we'll get her real name too, towards the end of IM3 but before The Winter Soldier. :)**

**Let me know what you think in a review?**


	13. Avengers Part 8

**Hello, all. There is an extremely long AN at the end of this chapter and I hope you take time to read it.**

**But until then, enjoy the final chapter of the Avengers arc in Clandestine.**

Chapter 13 - Avengers Part 8

May 2nd, 2011

Watching Banner transform isn't like I'd imagine. It was quick; one second the doctor stood there about to take on a giant alien, and the next the Hulk slammed his green fist on to the nose of the enemy. The hostile rears up against the impact, it's back heading straight towards us. For a second I think about using my powers to prevent it from reaching the group but before I could make a move, Stark tells us to hold on as he fires an explosive into the creature's back.

I feel someone shield my body with theirs as an explosion sounds. I hear the Hulk roar, the aliens screech while fire and armor rain down around us.

"Um, guys." I step out from Thor's shadow and stare at the portal in the sky. Our problem just keeps getting worse.

_"Call is, Captain."_

"All right, listen up. Until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash.

"Thor, you gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You got the lightning. Light the bastards up."

Rogers turns to Romanoff and I, saying, "You two will stay here on the ground with me. We keep the fighting here. And Hulk?" I look up at Hulk, "smash." and he actually smiles before taking off.

I change out my empty mag for a new one, and remove my other gun, cocking it. A drove of hostiles approach fast and I fire at their neck and eyes; the only places where my bullets will do harm.

Before I know it, I'm caught from the side and slammed into the ground. The creature on top of me screeches as it fights to keep me pinned as best it can. I manage to free my left arm and shove my gun up under the aliens head and fire, making quick work of it. I see quickly that there are more coming right at me but in that second of weakness I noticed them too late. I roll to get out of the way of a blast but it catches my right thigh. A scream escapes my mouth as I scramble to my feet, dodging another blow after blow while fighting to get as close as I can to the one firing at me. Once there, I empty the last of my clip into one skull and into the neck of two more.

I don't know how long this went on for. It doesn't seem like I'm making a dent in their lines.

"Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal." Romanoff says as I join her and Rogers. I quickly change my empty clips for my last two.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."

"Well, maybe it's not about guns."

I know where the SHIELD agent is going with this. She's right. "Figuring out how to close the portal is going to be easier than getting up there; you're gonna need a ride." I state.

"I got a ride. I could use a boost, though."

I see Rogers nod and ready his shield. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

More aliens are advancing; I use the last of my bullets in giving Rogers and Romanoff cover fire, making sure that the latter has a clean line to get a ride. At the last second I watch her latch on and disappear around a building and right after my guns click empty.

I look over to Captain Rogers from behind a burnt out taxi and shake my head as I toss my now empty guns uselessly to the side. I draw my two daggers-my last physical weapons-and take a deep breath before going back in.

I swipe and slash and stab whatever comes towards me. I kick two aliens over the bridge and behead another. Something drips into my eyes but I don't know if its sweat or blood...or both. My hair whips my face and I turn in circles destroying one hostile while fighting another.

I feel something hot slice into my forearm and I do my best to ignore the pain. My dagger is knocked from my left hand and I'm kicked into a stone railing. Wincing, I spare a glance; blood seeps through the gash on my arm. Around me bodies advance faster than that of their backup.

Through my comm I hear Hawkeye say that there are civilians trapped somewhere. Captain Rogers calls my name and through the haze of weapons firing and dust clouds I give him a firm nod-a sign that I can hold things here on the bridge.

I lose myself in the fight; all the years of training, of missions, all infused in my limbs, coming out in a roar of fury. Years of practicing to be the best killer, to end the lives of those whose meant what? And here I am, fighting to save the very lives I was trained to destroy.

_Is this how I meet my end? Will I never know the truth?_

Without warning, I'm thrown backwards. I fly through the air, weightless and uncontrolled until I land on the debris covered ground. I wince as I feel rocks and glass dig into my skin as I tumble and roll. I crack my eyes open when I stop rolling and make my way on to my hands and knees; I see drops of blood drip from my head. The taste of copper fills my mouth.

I pull myself to my feet and take in my new surroundings. I'm in the middle of the street, my last dagger gone. Bruised, bloodied but not broken with no end in sight.

Civilians run from buildings, clothes torn and ash covered, hair disheveled and fear plastered on their faces. I catch the scratched face of a little girl holding on to a fireman for dear life. Our eyes meet. I wait for her to tuck her face away from mine but she doesn't. She gives me a toothy smile right before she disappears down into the subway.

I haven't even gathered my senses before the flash of a blast comes from in front of me. I duck and it flies over my head. I kick out at the hostile who shot at me, catching it in the middle before reaching up and snapping it's neck with my hands. Behind me I hear Thor and Rogers doing much of the same; I don't know when they arrived or how long they've been behind me but its kind of nice to know that someone is watching my back.

Even though the feeling is still foreign to me.

I make short work of four more when I hear Captain Rogers go down hard, the clang of his shield echoing right after. I turn around just as he clutches his side, his face going tight with pain. Thor is busy taking out hostiles with his hammer and Rogers is slowly working his way to his hands and knees, unaware of the threat approaching him.

Without thinking, I raise my left hand, the only thought I have is giving Captain Rogers more time to get to his feet. I don't know what I _expected_ to happen but an energy left my body and cleanly knocked the hostile advancing on the captain back into a building. It happened in the blink of an eye, I was sure that no one saw me, but for a second I see Thor tilt his head in my direction. I don't meet his eyes and jog over to see how Rogers was doing.

Thor offers his hand to the soldier and asks, "Are you ready for another bout?"

Rogers sighs as he hold his side, "What, you two getting sleepy?"

"I can do this all day." I don't want to, but I can. Or at least I keep telling myself.

_"I can close it. Does anybody copy? I can shut down the portal."_ comes Agent Romanoff's strained voice.

"Do it!"

_"No, wait."_

"Stark, are you mad, these things are still coming!" I yell.

_"I got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute."_ There is a pause. _"And I know just where to put it."_

I look up as Iron Man flies towards the portal with the nuke over his head. He angles his body and begins to climb the side of the Stark Tower and beaming blue light when the unthinkable happens.

He starts to slow down.

The Iron Man suit jerks and sputters and flickers. It's fighting to ascend, to climb away from the city, but it's fruitless. He won't make it.

"He's not going to make it," I state and it was obvious. Iron Man wasn't going to make it before the nuke detonated. Not without help.

With Thor and Captain Rogers watching the events unfold, I back up in searching for higher ground. I end up climbing on top of a city bus, moving faster against the ticking clock in my head. What I plan on doing is just hunch, an idea out of the blue that I can only hope will work.

I've never been a hero and I don't see myself as one. But these people don't deserve to die. Not like this. And they won't. Not if I can help it.

I raise my hands and focus my energy on Iron Man. I feel shimmers escape freely though my gloved hands as I use it to give the billionaire that extra shove. I grit my teeth as he gets closer to the portals opening, my body straining against the use of the one thing it's tried to rid itself of. Time seems to slow down for me, for everything around me, that I wasn't even sure if what I saw was real.

My arms shake as I realize that it is real; Iron Man made it though the portal. He did it.

I was so caught up in the sight that I didn't see an alien clamber up behind me. As I turned around to climb down, I see the hilt of its weapon aimed at my chest. It fires before it falls lifelessly but it didn't come up short of its intended target; me.

I jerk back and wait for the pain to engulf my chest, for the final blow. The only thing that happened was a flash of light hitting...something before it vanished. The pain never came.

I'm breathing heavily as I look around, where all of the hostiles lie prone on the city streets, dead. I jump off of the bus and join Thor and Rogers, who were both still staring up at the open portal where the explosion was clearly seen.

"Close it." Rogers gives the order even though Stark hadn't come though yet. I lower my head, close my eyes-

"He's not slowing down!" booms Thor, catching my attention once again. I look up in time to see the Hulk catching a falling Iron Man and land meters away.

"Is he breathing?" I find myself asking. The light on his chest is out and the grim looks on the faces of the men around me tell me that that wasn't a good sign.

All of the sudden the Hulk roars loudly and Tony jerks awake. "What the hell? What just happened?" he asks with much confusion. "Please tell me nobody kissed me. Well," he adds when he sees me.

"We won." Captain Rogers says with a sign.

For the first time in what seems like forever, I actually smile. "We won."

"All right, yay. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's take a day." I couldn't agree more. "Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is but I want to try it."

"We're not finished yet." I follow Thor's gaze towards the tower, were I assume Loki is.

"And then shawarma after?"

I offer my hand to Stark, which he take gratefully. "That was a close call, Stark. Wasn't sure if you were gonna make it."

"To which one?" he asks with a half smile.

"Both." I match his grin. "Glad you made it."

"To which one?" he repeats causing me to laugh to myself. I'll let him think about that one.

We ended up meeting Romanoff and Barton in the penthouse of what was left of Stark Tower. When we arrived, Loki was trying to pull himself up a short flight of steps. The god looked worse for wear and behind me I can hear the Hulk chuckle.

Must be his handy work.

"If it's all the same to you," says Loki as he faces the seven of us. "I'll have that drink now."

* * *

The next day was the send off for the two gods. SHIELD had selected the edge of a park in New York in an attempt to get away from the city. I parked my bike behind a SHIELD car and run my fingers though my hair. I adjust my sunglasses and scan the area; I was the last one to arrive. Only because I wasn't going to come. I didn't see a reason; still don't. But Fury was pressing very hard and said that as soon as the gods were gone I could get started on finding answers.

The only downside was I had to be there to see Thor and Loki off.

I watch as Stark and Banner have the Tesseract over to Thor. I watch Barton and Romanoff as they eyed Loki. I watched Rogers as he eyed the Tesseract and could only imagine the pain that that cube had caused him.

The city, maybe the world, is calling them the Avengers. Earth's Mightiest Heroes, or something like that.

All I know is I don't belong in a group like this.

I stand far from the group to be distant from them, but close enough to see the look Thor gives me before he activates the Tesseract. I wonder what he means but decide not to waste time thinking about it.

My end of the deal is done. The world is safe and I can continue my search for whatever it is I've lost. I'll take what SHIELD has to offer and not look back. As far as I'm concerned, this is the last time I'll see any of them.

And that is fine by me.

"So, what do you have planned now, Kate?" I turn to meet Romanoff who is standing next to Barton. "Any new adventures?"

"I'm pretty sure both of you already know."

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd be nice and ask first." she offers her hand. "Don't get into trouble, okay?"

"Can't make any promises." I shake her hand twice and she turns to leave. I wasn't expecting Barton to say let along say anything so when he did, I was surprised.

"Hey, um," he starts. Though the shades he wears are as dark as they come, I can tell that he's looking everywhere but at me. Finally he says, "thanks... for not killing me when you had the chance."

I wasn't expecting that. I look around at the others; Rogers is saying goodbye to Stark and Romanoff is giving Banner a bag. It's just the two of us. "I guess you can say we're even now. You know, back in London."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Take care of yourself, Agent Barton." I hold out my hand and search for his eyes from behind my own shades. He firmly shakes it.

"You too, kid."

Agent Baron gets into a SHIELD car with Romanoff and they drive off to where ever they need to go. Banner and Stark are chatting around Tony's car; the Science Bros I call them. I wonder what their waiting for.

"You okay, Captain?" Rogers is standing by his bike, a blank look on his face. A corner of his mouth goes up slightly and I quickly catch my mistake. "Steve."

"Just wondering where I'll go from here."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." I look around for the umpteenth time; the habit of needing to know what and who was around me still burned into my brain. I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched...maybe, hopefully, it's nothing. "Fury mentioned that he offered you a job with SHIELD." his eyes shoot up. "In passing, that is. He wants me to join, too. At least he asked nicely." I get on my bike and start it, revving the engine. "Are you going to accept his offer?"

"Yes... no. I don't know if I want to join anything right now." a sad look covers his face. "All of this, is still new to me."

If only he knew how much I understood what that felt like. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"What about you? What're you going to do now?"

I tilt my head to the side, the corner of my lips going up slightly. "I have some things in mind." an answer, but not very forthcoming.

He nods once. "Best of luck to you, then, Kate. Maybe our paths will cross again." he drives off without another word.

"Man, I thought he'd never leave." says Tony as he steps in front of my bike. "You know he's like 70 years older than you, right, Kitten? I don't think its gonna work out between the two of you."

"Get out of my way, Stark. Unless you want that $1,200 dollar suit scuffed."

"Whoa, kid, just slow down. Do you know who makes this?" he gestures to his suit. "Doesn't matter; I have something for you." he reaches into the breast pocket of his blazer and removes black device. I don't know what it is until he starts talking just as a logo appears on the screen.

"I know you said you didn't want to join our merry band of misfits, and while the offer still stands, the gang and I thought it best you send you off with a little something." he says the words like they are just that, words, but behind them I sense meaning. "It's just a prototype, Pepper doesn't even know that I made this, but I needed to test it. It's completely off grid, untraceable unless you turn the locater on, can do anything you want it to five times faster than anything money could buy."

I glaze at the palm sized device-a cell phone, I realize-before shaking my head. "I can't take that. Not where I'm going."

"Barton and Romanoff thought you'd might say something like that, so they ran it through some tests and spy whatnot before giving me the green light. The StarkPhone is a-go."

StarkPhone? "I can't take a phone, Tony. I just-" I stop myself, needing to give a reason to why I couldn't take a cell phone with me. "No. Find someone else."

"Are you going to make me beg, Kitten?"

"I told you to stop calling me that-"

"There are people here, waiting for me to do something stupid so they can take a photo and put it in their blogs." he holds the phone out again.

I chuckle at his comment. "Aren't you known for doing stupid things? It wouldn't surprise them."

"Just take the phone. Really. You have nothing to worry about."

So I do. I don't waste time in looking at every detail it has to offer; that'll have to wait until later, so I put it in my back pocket where it will stay until I get my bag packed.

"Thank you, Stark."

"Yeah, no sweat." he waves he hand and the soft pitter patter of someone walking towards us reaches my ear. I turn my hear to where Banner is slowing is pace as he gets closer to Tony and I. "Doc, make it snappy, we have a long drive ahead." with once final nod, the billionaire leaves.

"Ah, yes, Tony is right. This will be quick." with a deep sigh, I wait for the doctor to continue. I know where his silence it taking us and its the last thing I want to talk about. Finally he says, "Let me see."

I look down at my boots, the wheels, my handlebars; everything I could except for Bruce.

"Kate?"

"Nothing's change, Bruce."

"I believe you." he doesn't add anything else and he doesn't press. Maybe that's why I slowly turned my head to face him. Why I took off those shades. "It's still there, just like you said, but... slower."

"Is that good?"

"I don't know." he crosses his arms over his chest. "When did you fist notice this, again?"

I slide my shades back over my eyes. "After the offer, when I stepped out for some air. I caught my reflection in some broken glass." That's not the whole truth, but he won't notice.

He nods. "Well, maybe with time, it'll go away."

"Maybe not. I think its connected to my powers." I suddenly say. "I mean, it makes sense. Maybe it was happening during the fight and I never noticed." And neither did anyone else.

"That's something to consider, I guess. But you should-" A long honk of a horn cuts Banner off before he can finish. Stark was rushing him, anxious to leave. "I still have you're notes so I'll look into it, okay?"

"Yeah, alright." another honk. "Thank you, Bruce. For doing this for me."

He smile as he offers his hand. "Take care."

"You too." I don't watch them leave. I tell myself not to get attached to any of the Avengers; I can't afford feelings or hope to see any of them again. Even if Banner does find something the chances that I'll ever _see_ him again are slim. Emotions are a weakness I can't afford. Not now, not ever.

The road ahead of me is unknown. I don't know what I'll find or where it'll take me but I know on thing: nothing will get in my way of finding out the truth.

* * *

**End Credits Scene**

Shawarma. I have no idea what it is or what it tastes like. The wrapped meat stares at me untouched in the wrecked restaurant as I sit with my knees pulled to my chest. The action makes me feel small. Like a little girl again, trapped in a world that was too big. Like a child without a childhood, forced to grow up too fast.

I'm sitting near the only standing table left in the building, in the general area of Steve and Agent Romanoff. Not close enough to the six heroes, the Avengers.

No one has said a word. The adrenaline has finally wore off after what the world is dubbing The Battle of New York. I don't have the energy to lift the meal to my mouth so I stare at it as it grows colder with each passing minute.

"Well, I don't think we should put this off any longer." says Tony. "Kate, I've talked to the team and, we all agree to some extent, that we couldn't have won this battle without you."

I lift my head slightly and eye the billionaire. He's sitting forward with his arms resting on the table and a serious look covers his face. There are murmurs of agreement coming from the other five people as he continues, "and, I'm speaking for everyone at this table when I say that we would love for you to join the Avengers. Officially."

"I-I, um," I take in a sharp breath. Without warning a pain swarms behind my eyes. My legs lower to the ground and I grip the metal chair with my gloved hands. I could feel the room tilting this way and that, even as my brain told me that that wasn't reality. "I can't." I manage to say before I scramble out of my seat and run for the front door.

_Please don't follow me, please don't follow me. Please-_ I chant to myself. I can't deal with anyone right now. I reach out for the wall and use it as my guide until I reached the end of the block. I lead heavily against the wall and wait for the pain to subside.

"You have beautiful eyes, Eleven. Has anyone ever told you that?" I jump back as the sound of an accented voice. Of_ that_ accented voice. When my eyes landed on the green and gold garb I readied my stance, even though the last thing I wanted to do was fight a god. I really didn't think I had it in me.

"I'm guessing that's a no." Loki chuckles. "It's a shame. The red and orange really matches your moniker. _Phoenix_. Has a nice ring to it."

"What are you doing here? How'd you get out?" I ignore his question slash statement. I know my eyes aren't red or orange. Just like I know the power hungry god is in a SHIELD containment facility until we can send him and Thor back to Asgard.

"If you must know, I'm not actually here. Magic is one of my strengths. SHIELD might be able to hold me physically for the time, but I can still perform tricks. Like this one," with a jester of his hand, a mirror appears in front of me. For the first time since the battle ended I see myself. My suit is stained with blood, and dirt and who knows what else. The gash on my arm looks better than it did earlier and my hair is frizzled.

Then I see my eyes.

My normally grey irises are a glowing reddish orange; like a raging fire in the middle of a starless night. I don't blink and I almost forget to breathe. Then the color fades to the grey for a second before going back to the red and orange.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the mirror disappears and the god takes its place.

"Is this one of your tricks, too? Are you trying to get in my head?" I take a step towards him. I don't know if he has as much power since he's not actually here. I find that I don't care; I'm not scared of him.

"I'm already in your head, Eleven."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's the only name you've ever really known. Kate Lynn doesn't exist. You made it up; it's just a trick."

"What the _hell_ do you want from me?" the leather of my gloves squeaks as my hands form a tight fist. The familiar feeling of that power I'd tried to keep inside is slowly growing, dying to escape my hold.

"You can't give me anything I want, mortal. But I want to give you something. All you have to do is accept it."

"I don't want anything from you."

Loki laughs. "Oh, I think you'll want this. A gift, from one misunderstood person to another."

"We are not alike." I growl through clenched teeth.

"You can't see it yet before you have tunnel vision. You only have your sights set on what you really want. The truth. And not on what you need." he does something with his hand and a chill run down my spine. "The ending is the beginning, Eleven. When you find where it began, you'll find the right ending."

In a flash he's gone.

And I'm left with more questions than answers.

"Kate!" Banner's voice reaches my ears. "Kate, are you-"

"Bruce," I say slowly. I catch my still glowing eyes in a shard of glass as I face him and when I lift my head I see his face pale in the dim light. "I need your help."

(TBC)

* * *

**Well. There it is. The end of the Avengers arc of _Clandestine_. I'm glad I finally finished it; it took a lot longer than I wanted because of this reason right here:**

**I'm now have a day job in which I work 8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week and that leaves me no time to write. Now, by all accounts _Clandestine_ will not end here, but it is going on HIATUS until I get the next chapter written (and even then, any updates will be few and far between). When that will happen and when it will be posted is unknown. Like I said, I work a full time job and I just don't have the time like I did in the past.**

**The future of my OC, while I have a general idea of what and how I want things to happen, has still yet to be written.**

**I truly hope you all don't give up on me or this story because I have so much planned and I want to share it with you.**

**So, please, please, please leave me a review of what you thought of this chapter.**


	14. More Than it Seems

**I'm back and with a fresh chapter to begin the New Year!**

**To everyone still following Clandestine and have waited months for this chapter to be posted, I thank you for sticking with me.**

**This is leading up to IM3. I have so much information in this and the coming chapters; the excitement is real. What I have planned for my OC as I lead up to TWS and eventually Age of Ultron, well, let's just say that I can't wait to share it with you all.**

**As I have said in the past, the updates will be few and far between as I have a day job; it could be a couple of months or so before I get chapter 15 uploaded. Until then, I do hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave a review.**

Chapter 14 - More Than it Seems

November 17th, 2011

_"...reports that Doctor Janice Helms is going to unveil the progress of her work at the Gala later this week. A source confirms that the news is in direct relations to the late Scott Reynolds and that of the project he was working on at the time of his tragic death."_

"Kate? Hello, Kate?"

I tear my eyes away from the news report and to the man behind the bar. Travis... or maybe its Trevor. I try not to remember names nowadays. "Yeah?"

"I called your name like five times." he says with furrowed brows. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was just caught up in the news." I wave him off and nod towards the tv as I sip my water. "What were you saying?"

"Just askin' if you ever wonder what they've been working on all these years?" I watch as he expertly fixes a mixed drink, slides it down the bar to a waiting costumer and begins another. "I mean, don't you find it odd that after 20 plus years of R&amp;D they are just now telling the world what they've done."

I do find it odd. That's the reason why I'm currently sitting in this South Beach bar this late at night. To investigate RI.

In the months since the events in New York, my search for answers has taken me all the way down to Florida. With the help of SHIELD's tech, I was able to do some deep digging and found out that there is more to Doctor Helms than meets the eye.

I discovered that she had made frequent trips to Russia, staying for weeks or months at a time, over the last 20 years. It could have been simple business trips for RI, but my gut told me otherwise. That there was something else, another reason for her being there. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a definite location on where she spent that time so my instinct was all I had to go on.

"Nah, not really." I reply easily. "Companies do things like this all the time; Reynolds International is no different."

The bar tender shrugs as he tops off my water. "Well, I personally think that lady is hiding something big. But you didn't hear that from me. Who knows what kind of things she does in that building. I'd hate to find out."

I smile and turn my eyes back to the news, but pay no attention to it. My mind relays the little information I've already gathered on Janice Helms and Reynolds International. I know that there is more information that they won't release because they don't want the world to know. I just don't know how to get it without casualties.

"I've never seen your face in here before." I sense someone sit next to me. His voice is strong and commanding. Likely a local who has a habit of picking up women.

"There's a reason for that."

"And what reason might that be?"

I lean forward and let my dyed locks fall in front of my face. The last thing I want to deal with is a local drunk in the middle of the night. "Guess."

He flashes a bright, toothy smile. "Well, you aren't dressed like your from South Beach, so I'm going with your taking a vacation."

Since that is what I was going for when I dressed in jeans and a tank top before I came here, I smile. I cup my glass in my hands and wait for him to take the hint that I wanted to be left alone.

"What're you drinking?"

He didn't.

"Nothing you can afford."

This time, he chuckles. "I doubt that."

It doesn't take my enhanced hearing to notice that the sound that follows his statement is that of crisp, neatly folded bills. Through my waterfall of hair I see him place six one hundred dollar bills on the counter and wave the bar tender over.

"Two house specials for us and refills for all the women in here. And you," he says in my direction, "I want to show you South Beach."

"Thanks, but no. I'm not interested."

"You haven't even heard-"

"Let me save you the trouble," I sit up straighter and stare into his eyes. I can see the way his search my brown ones and I'm reminded why I wore colored contacts. I begin to feel that familiar fire like sensation raise up inside me, a pain burning in my head. I want to fight and end this quickly. That's what I was taught, it's all I know. I even my breathing to stay in control of what was threatening to happen. I can't let what little control I have slip away now. "find someone else."

* * *

A lot has happened since The Battle of New York.

I've tried to forget it all but that hasn't worked.

In the months since I drove out of the city and began to follow a map of information that was only in my head, I've had a lot of time to think. Which was something I sorely needed but didn't want.

And here I am, walking along the beach, sand in-between my toes, wishing I was back in my car with nothing ahead but miles of road and my wandering thoughts.

It was nice to listen to the waves crash on the beach. The sky was starry in the late hour and it lit my way as I walked back to my car. The bar turned out to be a dead end and a waste of time. In the morning I would rework some things and decide on my next move from there. But right now, all I want to do is sleep.

"You sure don't waste time in getting out of dodge."

I purse my lips into a tight line as the man from the bar jogs up behind me. Part of me wanted to pin him to the ground and demand why he was following me. Reasons quickly filled my mind;he was one of them. He had orders to bring me in, one way or another. Maybe they figured out that I was in The Battle of New York, that I fought alongside the Avengers and his orders were to take me out because they saw what I could do.

Instinct told me flight was my better and safer option. I know, though not yet fully, what I'm capable of and those who made me this way do as well. Even with the beach as empty as it is, this part of Florida is teeming with people.

I don't completely understand my powers. Yet.

And I can't fight with so many innocents who lie unaware in the crosshairs. I can't risk it.

My best-only-option is to play it safe. Let them think that I'm not on to them and I just might walk away tonight.

"Sorry. I'm not the type of woman to pick up guys in a bar." I don't slow my pace. Keep walking. Get to my car. Get out of town.

That's my plan.

"I'm sorry if I came on too strong. I guess I was too excited about seeing a new face." he pauses as he falls into step with me. I hear him jingle loose change in his pocket before he adds, "That doesn't happen to me very often."

Obviously. I feel like I should tell him off easily, when suddenly I hear high pitched screaming and bodies surround us. I'm on high alert; dropping my heels in the wet sand, raising my arms and spreading my legs, readying for the attack.

Another fear of mine is that people, the people I've been running from, finding me and forcing me to become their weapon, their killer, again. I've been on the run for what seems like forever but in the seconds that passed, I quickly realized that we weren't being attacked. That _I_ wasn't under attack.

"Over here!"

"I love you!"

"Ladies, ladies, please. There is only one of me and," he pauses as he counts the hordes of still screaming females. I slowly lower my arms. "and eight-oh, nine of you."

"Can you sign my phone?"

"Sign my necklace!"

"Sigh my bra!"

That last statement brings a laugh out of the only man on this now crowded beach. "Ah, yes, Kate,"

"I never told you my name," my eyes narrow as they meet him, instinct screaming at me to run while I had a chance.

"I heard Troy say-ladies, please give me a moment! I'm really sorry about this-"

"Mr. Young-"

"Derek! Derek, over here!"

_Derek Young_? Owner of Reynolds International Derek Young?

"I guess that's why you don't see new faces. You must be some big hot-shot." while I don't have a lot of info on this man, his name did ring a bell. I only know that he and Doctor Helms are close; so close, in fact, that on December 31st of this year, he's going to sign over 51% of RI.

I take the time to walk away as he signs various items. Shoes in hand, I head towards my car, eager to get out of Florida but without a destination in mind.

"While saying that I own a multi-billion dollar company is my best pick-up line, I chose not to use it. I wanted you to see me, just me and not the famous me."

"You can't take a hint, can you?"

"Not normally, no. Look, Kate," he steps in front of me with his hands raised. I do a quick read of Derek Young; average height, jet black hair, maybe of mixed race and brown eyes. It appears that he has no weapons on his person, but I still take two steps back. If he's within striking distance, and if he works for them, his arms and legs are his weapons. "I really want to show you South Beach and since I don't know when I'll run into you next, I'll just ask now. Will you be my guest at the Reynolds International Gala this weekend?" there is hopefulness in his voice.

I sigh and run my fingers though my hair as I look over his shoulder, a cover to scan my surroundings. We're alone and I don't sense any persons nearby. I realize that this was just what I needed; a way to get to Helms. But it seemed too perfect and that's what worried me. The possibility of it being a trap was great.

"When I came to Florida," I say. "I wasn't expecting to go to a party. Much less a Gala thrown by a billionaire. I don't have the proper attire."

Young reaches behind him-I stiffen-and he pulls a card. "Go to this address and get everything you need. On me."

My eyes slowly leave the card and find his. His facial expression is genuine and sincere. Honest.

New plan.

"Okay." I take the card. There is only an address so, even though I know the answer, I ask, "When and where?"

* * *

November 20th, 2011

Thinking back to every mission I went on as their weapon, one would think that tonight would come second nature. The truth is none of my kills had been this undercover. I kept my distance when I took the shot, leaving no trace that I was ever there.

But this is different.

I stand in front of a full length mirror, staring at my reflection, but not seeing myself. Granted with my blonde/brown hair dyed auburn and brown contacts covering my grey (and occasionally flickering orange) eyes that's to be expected. If I add the embellished gown and jewelry, then all bets on recognition are off.

I hope.

Prepping for tonight was no small task. As soon as I got back to my room from shopping two days ago, I researched Derek Young, Janice Helms and Reynolds International using my StarkPhone as it gave me access that I wouldn't have been able to get if I used the hotel computers. Mentally I'm more hesitant about being at such a public affair. The Gala is being covered nationally which means that there will be plenty of cameras.

The chance of something going wrong is great. And I can't afford that.

Thirty minutes later I'm driving my car in front of an estate in South Beach. I'm sure to steer clear of the valet and park closest to the back exit. I have my bag packed and waiting, ready to disappear if and when the need presents itself.

I'm out of my car and walking up the stone steps towards the entrance before I have a chance to talk myself out of this plan. When I get to the check in area, the guard says, "Name and invitation." without looking up.

I clear my throat. "I don't have an-"

"No invitation, no entrance." he looks up quickly and adds, "Next!"

"I don't have an invitation because Derek Young invited me personally. He said that he'd see me in." though the name I carry is not my own, I don't want to leave it with the guard. At these types of parties for this type of personal, they do background checks multiple times leading up the the Gala and once more before the guests are allowed to enter. Facial rec using the markers on ones face are run through a series of computers and databases and while Kate Lynn hasn't committed a crime, Eleven, though never caught on camera, has.

Its a long shot, I know. I'm probably grasping at air. But I don't want to chance anything. I can't.

Growing frustrated I act shy when I'm actually making sure to keep my head low that the camera behind the guard can't get a clear shot. "Can't you just call him? Please?"

"I was not informed that Mr. Young would have a personal guest." the guard says in a gruff voice. "Now leave before I have security detain you."

I open my mouth to press harder but a hand on the small of my back stops me. It takes everything I have to not spin around and grab the unknown person by the throat. When I see that it is only Derek stepping up beside me, I force a surprised smile.

"It's alright, Shane. Kate is with me." Young says to the guard. As Derek grabs my hand in his, I hear Shane ask for my last name so he can do his background check. Out of my periphery, I see RI's owner wave him off as he continued to lead me up another flight of steps and through a set of wooden double doors.

"My apologies, Kate. Shane is a hard-ass but he means well." a chuckle escapes his mouth and he adds, "But that aside, you look," I feel his eyes scan my body. I want to punch him, but don't. "absolutely stunning."

"Thank you for the dress. I'm glad I got to wear it; I was beginning to think that my coming here was a mistake." I say.

"Well, maybe by nights end, you'll see that this wasn't a mistake." he smiles and slowly brings his hand towards my face. Thinking quick, I grab a drink off of a passing waiter's tray and sip the bubbly liquid. As I drink, I hear someone call Young from afar.

"I'm sorry, but duty calls. Please, look around, eat, drink. I'll be back before you know it."

I lower the glass as he steps away, eager to get started. "Thanks. I will."

* * *

I have yet to see Doctor Helms. And while that puts a damper on the order of my plans, I go ahead and do some recon. So far I have spotted ten armed guards, six unarmed guards and twelve security cameras in the areas where the guests are allowed to go.

The exit were my car is parked closet to is currently on the far side of the room and would take me fourteen seconds to get to. Twenty-one when adding the still growing crowd.

That is too long.

Currently I'm sitting at the end of the bar, nursing a cup of warm water. The pain in my head came on suddenly; I'm not sure how long exactly its been since my head hurt this much, but I know it was just before The Battle of New York.

I'm taking it as a sign of something that I shouldn't ignore for too long. But for right now, I will.

"There you are, K."

I whip around too fast, spreading my fingers on my right hand, preparing to strike. Young is standing opposite of me holding a drink. Confused and worried, I tilt my head to the side, "What did you call me?" the words come out more harsh than I intended and I worry that I've tipped Young off.

"K? Sorry, it sounded nicer in my head." he sips and continues, "Is that a childhood nickname or something? I didn't mean to be rude."

"Uh, no, it just surprised me is all. But I'd prefer if you call me Kate." I should be relieved but its not enough for me to don't let my guard down. I don't know what Derek Young's deal is. I have to be prepared.

"Okay, I can do that." setting the now empty glass on the counter, he hold out his hand. "The main event will be starting here soon, but before that, I want you to meet someone."

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not the type of person to socialize with billionaires."

"Janice is as down to earth and humble as they come. Trust me, you'll love her. Here she comes now."

There's a buzzing, though soft, coming from my clutch. No one has the number to my phone and only a select few have a way contact me through a private chat room. Agent Romanoff and Director Fury to name a couple. I look up and see that Doctor Helms is meters away; I glance at my phone and see one letter and one number on the screen.

_E3. _Emergency911.

It's from Bruce Banner.

I don't have time to type my reply because Doctor Janice Helms is standing next to me.

"Derek, I see you were not short in describing the beauty of this woman. Kate was it?"

I slide my phone back into my purse and stand to greet Helms, extending my hand. "Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Any friend of Derek's is a friend of mine. And please call me Janice."

"I'm looking forward to tonight, Janice." I say testing the name for myself. "Over twenty years; that's a long time to develop something."

"Yes, it is. What Reynolds International has been working on with change the ways of the world. And I'm not just saying that. The few that are here tonight will see first hand what I mean and why it took so long to perfect."

"Doctor Helms, you have a phone call in the back." one of the guards says coming up to Janice. The suit and earpiece and weapon tells me that he is one of her personal guards, never far from her side.

"I'm sorry to cut this so short, but I've been expecting this call." she leaves without another word.

Derek Young steps into my line of view. "I need to get to my spot too."

As soon as he is out of sight, I break for the back hall and remove my StarkPhone from my purse. With a swift keystroke I'm dialing the number to Banner's chatline. Holding the device up to my hear, I wait for the doctor to answer.

_"Kate?"_

"Bruce, hey."

I hear him sign. _"Oh, I'm glad I caught you."_

"I just wanted to let you know that I got your message but this isn't really the best time, Banner." I say looking over my shoulder. "I'll have to call you back later. Maybe tomorrow morning?"

_"No no no no, Kate, this can't wait any longer. It took me five days to reach a town with a connection for me to contact you!"_ through the phone I hear the typing of keys and rustling of papers. _"Dammit!"_

"Hey, Bruce? Calm down. I don't want to deal with the Other Guy over the phone when its you I apparently need to talk to."

_"I'm calm enough, don't worry. Its just, I don't know how to tell you what I found."_

"What you... found? This is about-" I can't even finish the sentence but he knows what I'm thinking.

_"Yeah. It is."_ the line it quite for what seems like years.

When I turned to Doctor Banner for help in understanding what I was made into, what I can do, I figured it was a long shot. For some reason, I trusted him with the information I gave him, believing that he'd help and not sale what he knew to the highest bidder. I didn't know what to expect when the time finally came for him to tell me if he discovered anything. Part of me felt as though the whole thing was just a waste of time.

"Bruce," I grit my teeth as I try to push the pain in my head down as far as I can manage. I have to know. I have to. "what did you find?"

_"Kate,"_ he says slowly, unsure of his words._ "you're dying."_

**And there is chapter 14. I hope it was worth the wait. Please leave a ****review with your thoughts! And don't forget to check out my Polyvore sets (the gown I selected for the Gala is beautiful and perfect). :)**


	15. Revelations

Chapter 15 - Revelations

November 20th, 2011

_"Kate, you're dying."_

The three words slammed into me, but I was numb to them. I didn't feel anything.

At that same moment, the crowd behind me applauded loudly. I look over my shoulder and see a man taking center stage, with a spotlight shining on him. He was likely in his fifties with salt and pepper hair neatly combed back as he stood behind a glass podium.

I've never seen him before but I know that my time has run out.

"Bruce, I... I have to go." I say into the phone, the words having left my lips, leaving me no time to precess what I was told.

_"Kate? Kate, no! Kat-"_ I turn the device off, hearing more than I wanted too. I can't think about myself right now. I have a task that needs to be completed and a distraction is something I can't afford. Taking a deep breath and pulling a strand of hair away my eyes, I head towards the main area and take an empty seat near the back of the room.

"...to share with you all tonight. Now, without further introduction, the woman of the hour and soon to be owner of Reynolds International, Doctor Janice Helms!"

The people applud again. I join, keeping appearances up, and watch as the woman walks to center stage.

"Thank you, George and all of you here tonight." she begins, letting the noises die down. "To be standing in front of you is a great honor and privilege, one I wish I could share with my late friend, the man who paved a way to make all of this possible, Scott Reynolds.

"Twenty years ago, Scott brought an idea to me that, at the time, seemed like science fiction. He was a man who would have succeeded greatly in this company had his life not been cut short." I watch as she pauses and turns the page on her notes, the rustling of paper sounding too loud in my ears. "Days before he died, he told me how he finally achieved the impossible; how to make fiction a reality. Today's reality."

A large screen behind the podium baring the logo of RI, a bird in flight orbiting the two letters, faded to black. The light in the room dimmed and a hush overcame the crowd. The all too familiar sound of explosions sounded and I tell myself that it is alright. That its only a video.

I breathe in. Then out.

The screen fades in; the makings of a street covered with debris appears with civilians running for cover. Another explosion, screams and the sound of buildings crumbling. I shake my head; this is too familiar.

Like I've been there.

The screech of tires against pavement, then a crash, reaches my ears and the shadow of a person appears on the screen just as I realize why I feel this way. Why it looks like I've been there before.

"We've known that superheroes have walked among us for years. From super soldiers, to men flying in iron suits, to gods from other realms. But what Scott Reynolds created, what work I've carried on in his name, reaches new heights in what makes a human super." says Helms.

The person on the screen becomes clearer as Janice talks. A breath catches in my throat. Slowly, my thoughts are confirmed.

"Meet Subject K, Reynolds International first super assassin."

A still of me, a younger version, appears on the large screen. I'm dressed in full combat gear, my hair falls over my left shoulder as I hold a sniper rifle in my hands.

I don't remember this photo, which I know to be strange because of my memory: I don't forget things like that. No matter how hard I try.

"Subject K, or Eleven as some called her, was and is RI's only success at recreating the Super Soldier Serum. She is the best because of what Scott started and what I plan to finish." Janice pauses, surely letting the news soak in. "Thanks to years of tireless research, RI is on the brink if creating what America failed to do decades ago: an army of super soldiers."

My head spins violently as the people around be stand and applaud Helms. I scramble to my feet, using the table as an anchor and make my way to the back. I'm uneasy as I walk the long hallway towards the nearest restroom, which still seems to be to far away.

I'm almost there when I feel something warm run down my nose. I raise my hand to my face and it comes away red just as I reach the doorway. I quickly lock the door and head towards the counter. When I reach the sink, I lean heavily against it, letting it support the weight I feel I can't bare much longer. Droplets of red fall into the stainless steel sink.

My chest raises and fall as I fight to catch my breath. An army? Of super soldiers... assassins? More people like me, out in the world, doing what I can do? I can't take it all in.

I wash my hands and clear the sink. This is bigger than I could have ever thought. Janice Helms and RI is responsible for what I've become. For making me into this... this monster. A weapon. And now they want to expand on this development and do what? What's their plan?

I remove my phone and pull up the secured web browser. I enter the name "Scott Reynolds" but a loud banging on the door stops me from hitting search. I wait a moment, hoping the person leaves.

"Kate? Are you in there?" comes Derek's voice. "Are you okay? I saw you leave in a hurry and I just wanted-" he stops. "Please, just say something."

I can't stay here any longer. Its not safe.

Double checking my appearance in the mirror and making sure that I left no traces of my blood, I turn the lock on the door. "Hey," I say sheepishly.

"Hey, hi. Are you okay? I was looking for you and saw you run out and-"

"I'm fine now. Just felt a little sick all of the sudden." I reply, looking around. Its just the two of us in the hall and I ease up a little more. "I think I should go."

"What? No, please stay." Derek places his hand on my back and begins to usher my back towards the main area. "Janice's speech is over and she really wants to talk to you some more."

"I'm sorry, Derek. But I've really stayed too long." I ease away from him and turn towards the front doors. "Thank you for tonight. The dress, this evening, but I have to go. I'm sorry,"

I have only taken a step when my body seizes suddenly and I fall to the ground. I clench my teeth as the pain continues to wash over me, uncontrolled. My vision starts to blacken around the edges as I fight to stay awake.

"I'm sorry, too. You should have made this easy, Eleven. On all of us."

I'm kicked onto my side and fight to lift my head. "What are you-" I start but the shockwaves course through my veins again.

"Don't lie to me, Eleven."

The pain eases away; I let my head lull to the side. My vision comes in and out of focus. The pain in my head has become unbearable.

"You shouldn't have run away, Eleven." I hear Derek say before the pain becomes too much and everything goes black.

* * *

_One._

Darkness. Thick and heavy, suffocating as it presses in on me.

_Two._

A shout nearby, an accented voice. Speaking, but with mumbled words.

_Three._

Weightlessness, no control. The unknown.

_Four._

A flashing bright light, an icy feel, then darkness once more.

_Five._

* * *

I'm pulled roughly from the depths of darkness when my lungs full with water. Instinctively I gag and gasp for air but all I get is more water. My arms pull against the chain restraints that bind my hands behind my back but they are too tight. Too think to break.

"That's enough." a muffled voice commands but the water doesn't relent. "Enough!" they shout.

The hand holding my head forward releases and I struggle to sit up away from the tub of water, coughing and retching, fighting to catch my breath.

"I think she's ready to talk." The echo of heeled shoes clacking against the concrete flooring sounds too loudly in my ears. I lift my eyes and see the easy face of Janice Helms. "Aren't you, Eleven?"

From my kneeling position I tilt my head to the side, narrowing my eyes. "I don't..." another cough. "I don't k-know what you're t-talking about."

"Tisk, tisk" says the doctor. I notice that she is holding a small box in her hands, a red light sitting a top it. "I know you were trained to be smarter than that. Maybe you just need some help remembering. Time isn't something you have on you're side anymore. So stop wasting it." she flick a switch; the light turns green and bolts of energy shoot through my veins.

I hear a scream. I don't realize until after the shockwaves stop that it was coming from me.

"You're probably wondering how we found you, Eleven. It's really amazing." she chuckles, pacing back and forth in the small room. "After you managed to escape a year ago, a nationwide manhunt ensued. More forces were given to my disposal but it still wasn't enough. I knew that you wouldn't be found because I trained you. You were too good to slip up.

"But you did. When you made the mistake by going home. That's right; New York is where you were born. You just didn't realize it." Janice walks over to where I am. She leans in until she is inches from my face. "None of this matters now, Eleven. You're coming back with me, and we'll get you back on the right track. Maybe you and our newest.. asset will make a good team. If not, well. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

After she steps away the guards on either side of me tightens the grip on my arms. I work to slow my racing heart and uneven breathing.

"Did you make the dose strong enough, Derek?"

"Yeah. Followed the formula to the dot. Should do the trick."

Helms sighs and turns back towards me. I stiffen when I see the needle and vial in her hands. "The serum running through her veins is strong. You better hope this holds."

"There is no need to struggle, Eleven. The fight is over. You lost." I pull back as hard as I can, but it still isn't enough. "You won't remember any of this, but just know that you're helping make the world a better place."

The needle enters my neck and a coldness washes over me.

* * *

"I don't see what makes her so tough. She's just a kid."

"No matter what she looks like. You know who trained her all those years; I'd hate to be on her bad side."

"I'm with Jerry. I could hand that ass back to her faster than anyone here."

_Where... am I?_

That was my first thought as I listened to the gruff voices go back and forth. As I worked to gather my senses I pushed the gnawing pain in my head away so I could think.

It was dark, I realized right away, and my body was in a seated position. Without moving too much, I could feel the cold binds of chains bitting into my wrists and lower legs. The air around me was cooler and smelled damp; the steady drip of water filled my ears. Its when I shiver that I notice that I'm not wearing a shirt; just a bra, a pair of pants and boots.

_Control one of them. Make him unlock the chains. _I tell myself. I can't open my eyes yet in fear of them knowing that I'm conscious; instead, I utilize my heightened senses. There is one guard on my right and I focus on him. But I'm still weak and can't get a hold of his mind. It takes too much strength to stifle a grimace once I stop trying.

"How long you think it'll take them to get here?"

"Do you know how far Russia is from here?"

"...no."

"It'll take a few more days. Helms wants to make sure that new drug'll keep K out until we get back to base."

A lock turns, a door opens. "Any signs yet?" asks Helms.

"None, ma'am."

"Hm." her heels click and I know she's walking closer. "Its time to give the next injection. Be sure to mark the length of time on this one, too."

_Think, think, think,_

I focus my hearing of Helms. I know she's close; the spicy floral perfume hangs thick around my nose like a cloud. I listen closely as she fills a syringe and steps back over to me. When I feel two hands on my shoulders and one on my neck, hers, I open my eyes and snap my head forward into hers.

She screams and drops the syringe onto the ground where it shatters. Janice crumbles to the ground with her hands covering her face; blood seeps between her fingers and stains her dress.

"Restrain her!" says one of the men, but its already too late. Trying again, this time with more force than before, I reach into the guard's mind. I gain control over his body, commanding him to draw his weapon and aim at the other three men.

For a moment his arms shake as he fights to regain control of his own body, but it's useless. He can't fight my powers.

"Unlock the chains." I say turning to the closest man. I can see the fear in his green eyes; this must be the man who fears me. "Do it!"

He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls of a key. Then his hands go for the chain on my side slowly, shaking, sweat dripping from his brow.

"Don't do it, Mason!"

"There's no way to escape!"

"Do it," I repeat the words, more firm, low enough for only him to hear me. "Now!"

A second later the chain falls to the ground with a clang. He moves to my right leg next, then to the left side where he repeated his actions. He goes to open his mouth but doesn't get as far as speaking.

I reach out and slam him back into the wall, removing his weapon from his hip before he hits the floor. In doing so my hold over the man with the rifle was neutralized. I drop to one knee and empty four rounds into his chest, then six more into the last two guards, before any of then realize what happened.

"You think it stops here. You think that... that this is where it ends for you, Eleven?" Janice Helms is leaning against a metal desk, blood still pouring from her nose. The copper smell fills the room, making my head spin more with each second that passes. "It will _never_ be over. You won't beat us. You... can't."

"Who is us? Who do you work for?" I roughly grab the front of her shirt, lifting her up off the ground. "Who!?"

"_We _are the past and the future, Eleven. Your father knew that and its time you do too." she says. "You can't stop what's coming. Cut off one-" suddenly, her body tighten before going limp in my hands. I drop her just as blood comes from her ears.

There is no time to wonder what Helms was talking about. I notice a bag sitting a top the desk and inspect it, sighing when I see a jacket and surprisingly my StarkPhone. I slide the jacket on, thankful for the warmth it provides but wishing that there was a shirt too.

I run into the hall, not sure which way I should go. When I see three guards head towards me. Our eyes meet. They draw their weapons with a shout. "Hey!" I change directions quickly; away from them is my best bet. I race down the hall and take the first right, dodging bullets.

"Subject K has escaped! She is loose in the building!"

I turn another corner and see a window appear. Its at the end of a long hall with no form of cover. If I head towards it, I'm an easy target. But this may be my only means of escape.

"Subject in sights. Proceed with caution. They want her alive."

"There's no where to run, K." says on guard. His voice is thick and heavy with that Russian accent that I've come to know too well.

There is nothing but walls on either side of me. An idea comes to mind and I reply, "That's where you're wrong." bringing my hands up and out to the sides, I focus all of my energy on the structure around me and bring it crumbling down. Running towards the window, I cross my arms over my face and crash through the glass barrier.

The rush of flying through the air fill my senses and the last thing I see the the clear blue ocean water below.

* * *

_'Thunderstruck! Yeah, yeah, yeah, Thunderstruck!'_

I bolt upright, gasping for air, unaware of my surroundings, a noise blaring close to my head.

My vision is hazy. I blink a few times to clear it and I'm met with the sight of a dimly lit room and the smell of cheap air freshener. Glancing around in search go where the noise is coming from, I'm surprised to see my phone resting next to me on the floor, the name "Stark" flashing across the flat screen as the music continues to play.

_What..._

My hand reaches for the device, my thumb tapping the screen and I automatically hold it up to my hear. A voice I never thought I'd hear again speaks before I get a word out of my dry mouth.

_"Kitten, glad you could finally answer your phone. Well, my phone, really, but that's beside the point."_

I lick my cracked lips, taking a second to get my thoughts together. "Stark? What... what do you want?"

_"I know a hangover when I hear one, Kitten, but damn. Rough night?"_ his voice is playful and I can hear noises in the background.

"I don't get drunk." I say automatically, leaning against the wall with a huff. I repeat, "What do you want?"

_"I need your help with, uh... something. Where are you?"_

"Why do you need to know that?"

_"I just told you. This is something only you can help me with."_ he pauses. _"I'm being serious, Kat."_

"I'm-" suddenly there's a small problem: I don't know. I look around, trying to get a sense of where I am. The makings of a cheap motel room stick out right away; the striped bed spread and dingy sheets that lay disheveled at the end of the bed. Carpet that held more stains than the dishes in the kitchenette and a small bathroom.

_"Hello? Kitten?" _comes Tony's annoyed voice. _"Are you still there?"_

I reach for a sheet of paper that was sitting on the nightstand and quickly read what it said. "East coast. Jacksonville, Florida."

"Great. When you get here, I'll explain everything and then we can-"

I sit up straighter, more awake as I listen to the billionaire's words. "Whoa, hold it, Stark. What are you talking about? I'm not-"

_"I need you to come to California. Malibu, actually. It's important." _he says._ "Could be life changing, maybe life saving. I've been working on some things and-"_

"Tony, stop!" taking a deep breath, I pull myself to my feet. I ache all over and the room tilts, leaving me to quickly sit back down, this time on the hard bed. "When I accepted you're gift, it wasn't for you to call me at your leisure. Call Fury or Banner; someone who actually cares. Someone who isn't me."

_"They're busy."_

"And I'm not? Dammit, Stark, I have a life, and I'm not part of your team of heroes. Or any team."

_"Just, hear me out. Come to Malibu for only a few days and help me. You can even spend Christmas with Pepper and I, probably Rhodey too-"_

I cut him off, not understanding what he was trying to say. "A few days; that sounds like more than a few days." This is only November. Why is he talking about the end of December?

There's a long pause; the sound of metal hitting metal sounding through the phone line. _"Nah, Christmas is in like, five days or something. Okay, how 'bout you help me and I'll give you anything you want as a form a payment. You don't even have to stay for the holiday festivities."_

What?

I drop the phone and jump to my feet, forgetting about the dizziness as I race towards the bathroom. I switch on the light and stare at my reflection; my dirty blonde hair lays in unkempt layers well past my shoulders. My grey eyes are darker than normal. The shorts and tank top I wear are stained with dirt and blood.

The bathroom itself is in disarray with countless towels and articles of clothing spread across the floor and sink and bathtub. More dirt and blood, old by the smell of it, sits caked a top the tile and walls.

I leave the sight of the bathroom behind and begin to tear through the draws of the dresser and nightstand. I find a crumbled up newspaper dated the 17th of December, also stained with blood.

Confusion pounds against my being as I slowly walk back to the bed. Breathing becomes difficult and I can't think straight. It can't be December. The last thing I remember was searching... somewhere. For what? Something important?

I pick up the phone, looking at the top left corner and seeing what has to be the current date. _December 19th_.

I place the phone against my ear and say, "I'll come. But, you have to help me with something in return."

* * *

**The next chapter will find Kate in Malibu with Tony as I begin IM3. Can't wait to share it with you all. :)**


	16. Trust

Chapter 16 - Trust

December 21st, 2011

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind. Pain and confusion, confusion leading to pain... I tried to keep myself in check through the last couple of days, my powers, but to say the least I didn't handle my discovery well. The fear of not knowing where a month of my life went, of not knowing what I might have, no, what I did. It ate at me. I don't know when I last slept or ate.

Eventually, I find myself standing in front of Stark's Malibu home. Its still dark out, late, or maybe early. I don't know what time it is. I go the length of the driveway until I reach a set of closed doors. Stepping out, I gaze around for any sign of life, while holding my arm to my side. I notice that my injuries are healing slower. But I don't have time to worry about that now.

"No welcome wagon, I guess." I say aloud, though no one was around. "Figures,"

_"Good morning, miss."_ says a voice suddenly. I spin around, looking for the person belonging to the accented voice, but even in the dark I don't see any one. _"You must be Kate Lynn. Mr. Stark is expecting you."_

"Um, yeah." I reach around my back and fold my hand around the 9mm tucked in the back of my waistband. I don't like being called out, especially when don't know who is talking. "I think I'd feel better if I could see whom I was talking too."

_"My name is JARVIS. I am the AI who runs the house for Mr. Stark."_

AI? Artificial Intelligence. That gets a chuckle from me. "Of course you are. Where's Tony?"

_"He is currently in the basement working on his latest project."_

"Does he know I'm here?" I ask. The odd feeling of talking to the AI hasn't lessened since that information was shared. I try to shake the odd feeling off.

_"I have mentioned to Mr. Stark that his guest is on the property several times, but he hasn't shown any signs of acknowledgement."_ the garage door begins to open, lights flick on as JARVIS adds, _"but you are more than welcome to come in. I must warn you that Mr. Stark hasn't slept in some time. His actions tonight, however, are nothing new."_

And for once, I can relate to the billionaire.

Entering the Malibu mansion of Tony Stark, I think of what the playboy might have been up to since The Battle of New York. I mean, we're a long way from Manhattan, in more ways than one. Honestly, I think that little would've changed since I last saw him. He was probably sitting on his ass with a drink in hand.

Boy, was I wrong.

The very first thing I see is an Iron Man clad Tony leap in the air as his mask soars towards him. And right after he speaks about how 'he's the best' a stray piece of armor flies from behind and knocks him down.

He's groaning in pain as I stand over him.

"Kitten, hey." he says looking at me while sitting up some more, before proceeding to take off the helmet. "Wasn't expecting you 'til tomorrow."

_"It is tomorrow, sir."_ says JARVIS.

"Is it?" Tony clambers up with the aid of a nearby table. "Hadn't realized. JARVIS what time is it?"

_"3:57am, sir."_

"Huh. Well, Kitten, welcome to my home." he gestures. "Don't go crazy and touch everything, Dummy just finished cleaning."

"Two minutes in and you've already made me regret coming here." I lean against the table and take in the damage. "What are you doing, Tony? What is all of this?"

"I'll tell you about this later. Right now, I have something to show you."

I follow Stark to an open area of his lab. He takes a seat in a rolling chair; I elect to remain standing beside him. "JARVIS, pull up file number zero zero four three." Tony motions with his hands and a holographic appears in front of us. "Play from the beginning."

A screen takes center stage. On in, a video starts to play. It begins hazy and unfocused, but I could make out the images clear enough; because I'd been in that very spot just months ago.

Its The Battle of New York. A time that I can't forget. I'm looking at myself fight alongside Captain America and Thor. The Chitauri are attacking us from all sides. I only tear my eyes away when a second screen and video pop up next to the one I'm watching. Nothing is making sense.

I turn towards Tony who sits with his elbows resting on his knees. "I don't-" I start, but the uncertainty of how to finish stops me. "Stark, what is this?"

"For months, I asked myself that same question. I couldn't figure out how I made it though the wormhole; JARVIS told me I wasn't going to make it. I knew-" a deep sign, maybe a small growl, leaves his mouth. I can tell he's worn out. "The facts told me I wasn't going to make it."

"Tony, you did. You saved Manhattan and destroyed the Chituari ship. Everything's fine."

"But it isn't. All because of you" Tony stands and, with both hands, brings the zoom on both screens in closer. "JARVIS, play video one at four frames per second."

I watch the video play, slower, yet I still wasn't seeing what the man wanted me to see. "I think your grasping at something that isn't there, Stark. Maybe you should get some sleep. "

"JARVIS, eight frames per second, enlarge screen one."

Again, I watch. Why? I don't know. To prove to Tony that want he wanted to be there was never there to begin with? To prove to myself? Finally, right before I go to leave, I see it. Even with the video playing as slow as it is, there was no mistaking it.

"I've watched this video hundreds of times, Kat. I broke it down in ever way I know how. I almost missed it. So, when I saw this, I figured it was just my eyes playing tricks." Tony turns to me, the emotions on his face unreadable. "JARVIS did some research, came across a few things." he shrugs a shoulder. "It wasn't enough. I just need to be sure."

Without warning, Tony gestures with his arms and an Iron Man gauntlet attaches itself to his right arm. He aim at me, and fires.

Time seemed to slow down. I saw the burst of light, the flare of energy and power race towards me. I don't think; I react. Allowing instinct to take over. Raising my arms, palms outward, I create a shield in front of me. I don't know how long it'd been since I used my powers this way; maybe since the battle aboard the Hellicarrier? But the barrier was weak. The force of the blast knocked me backwards. I tumble over something and slide into a wall. My ears ring but I'm on my feet quickly, one hand bracing myself as I stood, the other raised at Stark.

"I knew-"

His words are cut off as I use my energy to wrap around his neck. He is lifted a foot off the ground, kicking and grasping at what he can't reach. "So this was your plan? To figure me out? You just couldn't leave well enough alone." I say between clenched teeth. "Damn it! You weren't suppose to find out!"

The billionaire gasps for air that he isn't getting. I tighten my grip, arm beginning to shake. "Kate-"

"No! I was fine by myself. I wasn't hurting anyone and, for once, I was doing good. _I_ was good." my voice shakes as I stalk towards the hovering man. "But you had to stick your ass in places where it doesn't belong. For a genius, you made a stupid mistake. You're _last_ mistake."

I slowly close my hand, my fingers making a fist. The power courses through my veins, white shimmers flow through the air, stronger than ever before as I watch the great Tony Stark fight against me. His eyes are begging, pleading even, but I don't relent. I can't let someone like him live when he knows about me, about what I can do. I can't risk something like this getting out.

Its when the sharp pain in my head returned at once that my grip wavered. Through my blurring vision, I see Stark slowly returning to the ground. "No, not now. Not. Now." I say, the words coming out in a forced whisper. I forced my grip to tighten again but instead of Tony being lifted into the air, he crumbles to his knees, his arms clawing at his neck.

My arm continues to shake; I fight to keep it up, to stay in control, to eliminate the threat, to end Stark for good, but deep down I know I can't. I'm not strong enough. The weakness washes over me. Everything around me darkens, the world spins violently.

After that, nothing.

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep, beep._

_Beep, beep, beep._

The pull from darkness is slow, familiar. I'm aware of the constant noise near my head, and the feeling of being watched. I turn my head as I fight to open my heavy eyelids, and when I do, I'm welcomed with a dimly lit bedroom and machines I recognize but can't identify.

I groan as I sit up, soon realizing that I am bare beneath the silk covers. I pull them tighter to my body, wincing as my head spins for a moment before the pain starts to fade away. I take a deep breath and place my feet on the soft carpeted floor.

_"Good morning, miss."_ someone says breaking the thick silence. When I remember that that someone was was more or less a something-an AI-the spike of fear goes away. _"Mr. Stark wanted me to inform you that he is on the other side of the door."_

"Tell him to go to hell." my mouth is getting dryer by the second. A glass of water is sitting on the nightstand with a note leaning against it. When I reach for the liquid, it inches away from me. I freeze, wondering if my mind if playing tricks on me. I try again and this time the glass flies across the room before shattering against the wall.

I clench my hand into a fist so tight I can feel my hand bruising. The frustration continues to grow. I use the bed as support, and stand while puling the sheet up higher. I remember JARVIS, so I know who I was talking to. And when he said that Tony was on the other side of the door, I recall my attempted... I don't know what to call it. But I don't know how much time had passed since then. Or where my clothes were for that matter.

"Kate! Kate, was that you? Are you alright?" a loud banging, too loud for my liking. The sound drums in my head, painful and consistent.

_"Mr. Stark would like a word with you."_

I ignore him. Both of them, actually, and start to rummage one handed through the drawers and the closet of the room. Empty. I huff, pissed that I'm not going to find what I needed. I lean against the wall and slide to the floor, pissed at the world, at Tony. Myself.

Tears fall without my consent. Sobs shake my body. I let my head rest against my knees. When I look up through blurry eyes I see a white sheet of paper off to my left. I reach one hand out and attempt to focus long enough to bring it closer. I push my emotions down, allowing the strength of my powers to replace them. Slowly the paper lifts into the air and hovers closer to me, before finally landing in my palm.

_'I can help.'_

There was no signature. I know who it's from. And I know that he's telling me nothing but lies.

There's a soft knock on the door. A woman's voice speak but I don't listen to her words. I figure it a maid or someone who works for Stark so I pull myself to my feet and open the door.

A red haired woman stands opposite of me. Her business suit makes her look more professional than that of what a maid or butler.

"Hi." she says with a warm smile. "Tony sent me shopping for some new clothes for you; I hope these will suffice." she hands over at least four bags. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I... feeling?" I asked confused. I can't tell what all this woman knew about what happen after I arrived.

"Tony said you had a long drive."

"Right. Right, uh, I'm a little tired." my reply is smooth. Lies always are. "Thanks for these, but I should get going. I don't want to intrude or anything."

"Oh, that's nonsense. There is a full bathroom that you can use is off to the back with towels, soap, everything you'll need. Once you're finished getting dressed, JARVIS can point you to the kitchen, get yourself something to eat." another smile, she then turns to leave but stops short, adding, "Tony also wants to see you in his lab. He made it should like it was pretty important."

She's gone before I say thank you.

* * *

Eventually I find myself standing outside Tony's lab, a glass wall separating me and the man I nearly killed. It was probably better, safer for him, if I just left quietly. But when the door clocks open and I automatically step inside, I realize that idea was never an option.

"Sleep well?" he asks not looking my way. His voice is raspy, even though he's is trying to hide it. "Hope so, a day and a half is a long time for a siesta because I have a _lot_ of questions for you."

"This is a road you don't want to go down, Stark." I reply, stepping closer, breaking the thick wall between us. "It's better if you just let it go."

"Can't. Not my style. Plus, I've already figured some bits out, with JARVIS's help." spinning around in his seat, he looks me in my eyes and says, "I just need some clarity."

I look at my shaky hand; a tool, a part of something deadly, uncontrollable. "I can't-"

"Tell me because why?" Stark interrupts me. "Because you're afraid of how I'll react? You're scared you'll hurt me?"

I run my fingers through y hair with a deep sign. "You'll just have to trust me when I say its safer for you. For all of you."

The room grows quite for a moment. I can see the gears turning in Tony's head as he searches for the right words to speak. Finally he does. "You've given me no reason to, Kat. You really haven't. But if I'm going to trust you, you're going to have to return the favor." he stands, grabs something off his desk, and walks towards the edge of the room. He waves me over, saying, "I want to show you something,"

I join him, glancing at at tablet as I pass. It looks like a skeleton of an Iron Man suit in the early stages of creation. "What is all of this?"

"Ah, a way to pass time time." he replies with a shrug. "Haven't been sleeping much lately, needed something to do."

"So you're building more suits? Why?"

"I'm not sure yet; maybe because it helps keep my mind busy,"

"That's not a great way to live,"

He lets out a dry chuckle, "Yeah, well, after nearly dying, it seems like a pretty good idea."

He grabs a small device, something that looks like a remote, and a hologram appears in front of us. "The offer still stands, you know. To join The Avengers." a few keystrokes later, one of his suits is up for us to see. Right away, I notice something different, something unlike his other. "I've been working on my own for weeks, needed something else to work on. This is the result."

It was obvious what was in front of me, but I couldn't believe it. "Stark," I begin, but become at a loss for words. "no. I can't accept this."

"And I'm not pressing you to. But this, the offer, all of it, still stands." Tony fold his arms across his chest. I shove my hands into my pockets.

"Did Fury tell you to do this? Is he trying to get you to keep an eye on me?"

"Fury doesn't know anything about this."

"Then why build me a suit? You've see what I can do on my own; you're a smart man, Stark, I know that isn't the only clip you've see of me in the Battle of New York."

Tony Stark purses his lip in a tight line, his brows furrow as he thinks of what to say. "I guess that's just an answer we're both looking for."

"Alright. Fine. I will think about it, but nothing is written in stone." I take a deep breathe, saying what he wants to hear. "Now, I need your help."

"Name it." he replies without a moments hesitation. I tip my head forward in a small nod.

Rubbing my hands together, I begin to tell Tony about my trip to South Beach, the reason why I went there and what I came across while there. I find myself opening up to the man as I speak, which is strange, since I did try to kill him.

"So, you need me to..." he trails off.

"I need you to do a search on a Scott Reynolds. Everything you can find about his life and death." I say.

"Sure, I can do that, but it might take some time." Tony swipes his fingers across a screen, then adds as he stands, "JARVIS will run everything in the background. So, why're you looking into a dead guy?"

"I-there's... something about him."

"You've never met him, Kat."

"I know, I know. But I just have this feeling." I say. "I just need to check it out."

"Great." he claps his hands together. The sound echoes loudly in my ears and I have to catch myself from wincing at the sharp pain. "Well, you can stay down here and do... whatever. I gotta go."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I have some final arrangements to make before Pepper gets home." then he's gone.

I sign and look around the room, at the damage I caused. Time, once again, is something I have a lot of. While the AI runs the search and with nothing else to do, I lower myself to the ground, cross my legs and close my eyes, letting the world around me cease.

* * *

**Hope this was worth the wait. This chapter had a lot of information in it and I hope you all enjoyed it. Leave a review with your thoughts.**


	17. Dangers Inside

Chapter 17 - Dangers Inside

December 23rd, 2011

_Scott Alan Reynolds._

_Born in Hell's Kitchen, New York._

_Married Malia Jones in 1986._

_One child, born June 13th, 1988._

_Killed in a drive-by shooting in 1993._

_No surviving family._

This information sums up what JARVIS found over the course of a few hours. I'm not positive of how much time had actually passed, but it seems like days when the AI's voice breaks through my thoughts.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Miss, but there is something that you'll want to see."

I sit up straighter, on edge. "What is it?"

JARVIS opens a video. Its short, and in it, Tony calls out the someone named the Mandarin, a terrorist but what is flashing across the bottom of the screen. Tony even goes as far as giving said terrorist the address to the Malibu mansion. "Is this live?" I ask.

"No ma'am. It hit the internet less than five minutes ago."

That means that Tony could already be back. I jump out of my seat and race for the stairs, taking two or three at a time. I skid to a halt when I reach the living room just as the billionaire enters through the front door, clad in what I believe to be his latest Iron Man suit.

I spread my arms and ask, "What the hell?"

"Kat, hey, I was just about to come down. But I, uh, got stopped." he motioned behind him to a brunette woman. "Please tell me there isn't a twelve year old kid sitting in the back of your car that I've nver met."

"He's thirteen."

Pepper comes down the stairs, talking about Happy being in the hospital. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were having more guests."

I look around, confused about the entire thing. Tony and Pepper get into a shouting match and I run my hand through my hair; clearly I've been caught up in my own problems that I've missed a lot.

"Uh, guys?" says the other woman. "Do we need to worry about that?"

"What?"

I walk over to where she is standing in front of a TV. A new feed is playing, showing the Stark mansion. Just a missile is shot towards us.

I don't have time to react; the shot shatters the window and sends us flying backwards from the impact. My mind is racing, I can't think straight. Through the debris I see Tony send the Iron Man suit towards Pepper, enveloping her safely before the two strike the wall. I head a loud crack, soon realizing that it was myself hitting a wall.

I crumble to the ground with a groan. Something warm runs down the back of my head but I easily ignore the pain. "Tony?" I rasp. "Tony!"

"Come on. Get up, we can't stay here." he grabs a hold of my arm, helping me to my feet, when another blast sends us back down. "Come on."

"Yeah. Workin' on it."

"Pepper, get her." he points to the other woman, who was across the room, trying to get up. "Stop stopping. Go. We're right behind you."

The house shifts beneath us, crumbling into the waters below. I push Tony ahead of me, using anything I can grab along the way.

"Sir, Ms. Potts is clear of the structure." says JARVIS.

Bullets sparks the flooring around us. I cover my head as glass rains down. I take shelter behind an over turned table just as Stark yells, "Keep going!"

"What about you?" I shout back.

"I've got it! Go!"

"No, I'm not leaving!"

"Just go, Kate!" he makes a gesture with his hands and the parts of his suits come flying into the house. "Go!"

With a growl, I take a look over the table, making sure it was clear before I head for the front door. I hear the repulser blast firing behind me. When I turn back around, I see the explosions of two helicopters as the fall out of the sky. The last helicopter is firing at Iron Man; he stumbles and it look like he's struggling. I raise my hand in the direction of the helicopter but he avoids it just in time.

"Tony!" I yell, not seeing him. "TONY!"

I watch in horror as the destroyed part of the mansion falls into the ocean, not knowing where the billionaire is. The last thing I see are the parts of the structure falling around me, right before I black out.

* * *

_That summer night in Brooklyn, New York was hot, but the woman felt cold. She gasped for breath, just enough to scream as she pushed as hard as she could. A warm hand stroked her sweat soaked hair away from her tired eyes, a gentle kiss planted on her forehead._

_"You can do it, honey. I know you can, just one more push."_

_The woman shakes her head, not wanting to go on any longer. "I can't," she says tiredly. "I can't."_

_"I see it. I can see the head." the doctor says. "Just one more big push,"_

_"I love you, Malia. I love you so much." he says as he caresses her head. "I know you can do this. I'm right here, baby, right here. Just like I promised."_

_"I love you too, Scott. More than anything." Malia squeezes her husbands hand and takes a deep breathe._

_"Okay." says the doctor. "One big push. Ready?"_

_Her scream could be heard throughout the empty halls, but Scott never let go of her hand. "Keep pushing, Malia, keep going!"_

_"Keep going, keep going, keep-" the doctor says "Ah, I have them. They're here." nurses rush in with blankets and equipment, taking the newborn baby away before the parents could see._

_"Hey, look at me." says Scott, looking at the crowd of nurses, waiting for the sound of his son or daughter to fill his ears.. "You did amazing. You're so amazing."_

_A smile works its was across his wife's tired face. Soon, a cry was heard just as the doctor walked over, holding a pink bundle in her arms. __"Would you like to meet your daughter?" she asks._

_Gently placing the newborn in Malia's arms, the parents smile. "Our daughter." Scott says, letting the baby grab his finger. "Our beautiful baby girl." he kisses his new family, now the happiest man in the world._

* * *

When I come to, its dark. I don't remember where I am. For some reason that dream had me wondering... I just don't know what to make of it.

I blink a few times to let my eyes adjust, to try to make anything out, but it does little to help. I hiss when I try to move around, stopping when a sharp pain comes from the back of my head. Going to read back I realize my arms are pinned; I can't move them. I know better than to panic, but that doesn't ease my mind when the memories come back.

"Tony," I whisper, unaware of his fate.

I try to move my arms, but whatever it leaving against my body is digging into my flesh. The sent of fresh blood washes over my senses, threatening to knock me out again. "Push it down, Kate." I tell myself. I breath in as deeply as I dare, then out slowly.

_Think, think, think._ I have to find Stark, yes, but first I need to find a way out of here. A plan begins to form in my head, in jumbled pieces. I don't know how long I lay there. The air is growing thinner, my thoughts not holding. I need to move now.

In the past, when I used my powers, I had my hands. I've never used it without them and I don't know if this will work. Even in the dark, I know my vision is fading. I cough and copper fills my mouth. Focusing on the area around me, I push my energy out my my very being. I see a shimmer of white light and the weight lessons enough to where I can move.

I use my arms to pull myself out of the pile of debris, wincing at the pain shooting from my left hand, not stopping until I feel the grass beneath my fingers. Rolling onto my back I look up at the starless sky and close my eyes. I need to rest, just for a moment...

Sensing something near, I snap my eyes open. I didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't one of Tony's suits standing over me.

I furrow my brows in confusion. "Tony?"

"No ma'am." comes that British voice I've come to be familiar with. "Mr. Stark is safe, for the moment, but he requires your help."

I place my hand to the back of my head and my fingers come away wet. Not surprising. "What?"

"It is a long story. I will inform you of everything on the way." I lay there on the ground in awe as the Iron Man suit opens.

"You, uh, want me to-"

"Please, ma'am, we are running out of time." I didn't know that AI's could sound so urgent, but JARVIS is proving me wrong. I push myself onto my hand and knees. Holding my side, I slowly stand to my feet and eye the open suit before stepping inside.

It closes around me, enveloping me in darkness once again. Soon a screen appears, and the AI says, "You have three cracked ribs, a severely sprained wrist and a scull fracture." he says as my injuries show up on the HUD before my eyes. "There are also signs of-"

"Where is Tony now?" I can take stock of my injuries later. Right now, I need JARVIS to bring me up to speed on everything I have missed. When he's finished I sigh. "So I guess we're going to Miami,"

"Yes, but you won't be alone,"

I hear the shifting of stone. Turning around, I see part of the floor opening up and dozens of Iron Man suits come flying out. "That son of a bitch," I mutter. "Okay, JARVIS. Let's go."

* * *

"We are one hundred meters out, ma'am."

We'd been in the air for nearly three hours. I, not knowing anything tech-wise about Stark's suits, let the AI fly to Florida. I look around, not seeing anything but the dark ocean waters below. Then the lights appear in the makings of a large oil rig. "JARVIS, get me a lock on Tony."

"Already done. He is on the southeast corner of the rig."

Without saying, we swing around to where the billionaire is. The suit skims the water before swinging up. There, I see Tony hiding behind some crates with another man.

"Well, look who it is." he greets as I hover over him. "How do you like it? It's still just a prototype but I call it Kat I."

"It seems that trouble follows you where ever you go." I say landing in a crouch. The faceplate opens as I walk closer. Pleasantries aside, I listen as Tony fills me in, nodding in understanding. "Okay. You go find Pepper and I'll help Rhodey get the President.

"I need you to help get the henchmen out of the picture." he argues. "You don't know what they can do."

"I'm more help this way. He'll need the backup. You wanted me here, there is no need to sideline me."

Tony huffs, obviously not liking my plan. I can see in his eyes that he's holding something back, I just don't know what. I also know that finding Pepper is the priority here, not taking down the terrorist. "Fine. But if you get into any trouble-"

"I won't." I assure him.

"Okay, where's my suit?" the military man spreads his arms in waiting.

I can see a smile creeping up on Tony's face. "Oh, sorry. The suits are only coded to me." he says as he flies off.

The faceplate closes and the HUD reappears. "J, can you find any..." my mind blanks. I lose track of what I was going to say. I shake my head, then try to continue. "can you find any, uh, trace of the President, in the area?" _What is wrong with me?_

"The President is currently suspended in the middle of the rig. He is being watched by at least ten people in the area."

"Okay, Rhodey, get the president to safety. I'll cover you."

As the man goes to rescue the nations leader, I watch for any on coming threats. I quickly see two people trying to prevent the President's impending rescue. I raise my hands and fire repulser blasts, sending them over the edge. This goes on for until I see Rhode standing safely with the President. "Tony, Rhodey has the President. Where are yo-" something lands on me, pulling me down. The HUD flashes warnings in red as I spiral towards the ground. "JARVIS, eject!"

"I would not advise that. You are more than one hundred meters above the ground. A fall from such a height will surely-"

The tempter inside the suit is growing. Beads of sweat run down my face and its getting harder to breathe. Black slowly fills my vision as I shout, "Now!"

The breeze of the air hits my face as I'm shot into the sky. I hit something before I'm able to right my sight, then I crash into a railing before falling to the ground. I groan rolling onto my side, narrowly avoiding being hit by falling debris. When I push myself up onto my arms, when I have enough strength to keep my eyes open, I see a small puddle of blood where I just lay.

"Well, that worked out... well," I mumble to myself as I use a broken railing to pull myself to my feet. I take in the destruction around me, noticing Tony and a safe Pepper embracing as they look up at the sky.

"Hey, Kitten!" calls out Stark. He smiles, I have no reason why, and points at the fireworks show above us. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

I bring my hand back to my head, wondering why it hurts so much. When I pull it back, it comes away wet and sticky. I look at it, confused and not understanding. I think I hear my name. I want to answer but no words form. The world, and the other two people left standing on the rig, tilt violently.

Then, nothing.

* * *

"Clear!"

"Nothing. Charge 350."

"Clear!"

"C'mon...charge 400. Clear!"

"...got her back. Prep the OR."

"Her vitals are stable."

"...too much blood. She'll need a transfusion."

"Did you get a ho... Doctor Kens?"

"On her way down now."

"I don't know how much longer she can hold on. We need to get to the OR now."

* * *

December 25th, 2011

Doctor Bruce Banner jogged through the hospital halls, clinging to the files like his life depended on it. He knew this wasn't the case because it wasn't his life that was on the line.

Tony had called, knowing that the doctor was in town, and said to get do to the Malibu hospital as quickly as he could. Bruce started to question why the urgency but Stark had already hung up. Seconds later her received a text message to bring all everything he had on Kate's "condition". Bruce knows how badly Kate wanted it to be kept a secret; he wanted to say that he didn't know what Stark was talking about but when he thought about it, if Tony know about Kate, then something bad must've happened.

It was thirty minutes after that message when Bruce found Kate's hospital room. It was very early in the morning, on Christmas, no less. For some reason it didn't feel like it. Not bothering to knock, he gently opens the door and steps into the dimly lit room.

"Kate?" he speaks in a soft tone, not wanting to startle the woman. He didn't know what state she was in, or mind or otherwise, so surprising her wouldn't be a good idea. "Kate, it's me. Bruce,"

"I didn't want you to come. I tried, to tell Stark, but," Bruce watches as Kate steps out of the corner bathroom, dressed in sneakers, dark jeans and a tank top. Cuts and bruises littered the exposed parts of her body and her hair was a tangled mess, water-falling over her left shoulder. "Why did he call you?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me," he says. "What do you remember?"

Kate walks across the room. Bruce can tell by the way she steps that she is in pain. Maybe she's trying to hold something back, maybe she's hurting in a way that can't be helped. "That's the problem; I don't remember... anything." Kate knows this isn't the first time her memory has failed her, but Banner doesn't need to know. Not yet.

"Nothing?" at the shake of Kate's head, Bruce crosses the room. "Hm, well, Tony tells me that you passed out for a minute then went all," he gestures wildly with his hands. At the woman's puzzled expression, he stops. "you tried to kill him. And Pepper, too, but it was how you went about it that caused him to bring me here."

Bruce opens his bag and removes the files he brought. On the light board he places an MRI scan for me to see. She knows right away that its the same one she gave him, when she asked for his help all those months ago. "I'm not going to dance around this with you, Kate. You asked me to look in to your condition and I did. What I found, though," he points to a section of my brain. "This is the back of your brain, the cerebral cortex, and this is right on the middle of that cortex.

Bruce points to a small white dot in the MRI, looking to Kate to make sure that she it following what he's saying. "Now, I know this is years old and its not as accurate as a current one would be. But I believe that that white dot in the middle of your brain is something bigger."

"You think this... is connected to my powers?"

"In a sense, yes. You told me that this was taken some short time after you got you powers," Kate nods, a firm line going across her face. "I think that over the years, this dot has been growing; that your powers have been intensifying because of it. From what I can say, and this is pure speculation, its acting like a tumor. Growing all this time. But I can't be positive. Not without a new set of MRIs."

Kate is silent for a moment. This news is a lot to take in. "I'm guessing the only way to know if its really growing is to do another scan," she says matter of factly.

"Yes. I'll go talk to the doctors, give them reason to do the MRI for us-"

"Can't do that."

Banner stops short. "Why not?"

"I, uh, might've had them erase any information that I was ever here." Kate rubs the back of her head, a habit, she realizes. "Blood, files, notes, security footage... everything."

"Kate,"

"I've been too exposed here. Living in the shadows, making sure no one remembers my face, that's my life now." she says with a shake of her head. "If we're going to get that MRI, it'll have to be under wraps, Bruce. No exceptions."

"Okay," Banner understands where Kate is coming from. With a sigh, he says, "no exceptions."

* * *

**I watched Age of Ultron opening weekend, and, ohmygosh! I have a vague outline in my head of how I'm going to include "****Kate" in AoU. But first, she needs to meet her... replacement in _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_. Also in the next chapter or two, she'll learn about her past, her family, where she came from and her real name. Which, finally, will all tie in to Avengers 2.**

**Review, send me your thoughts. _Clandestine_ is coming up on a year since I posted the first chapter. I want to thank every who has been here since the beginning, those who have reviewed and those who follow. It really means a lot to me.**


	18. Winter Soldier Part 1

**Here it is. The film that convinced me to write Clandestine. Over a year ago, I saw TWS in cinemas and the idea of my OC and her story was born. There are a lot of hidden gems in this chapter, referencing future films and my OC's backstory, so keep and eye out. ****At the end of this chapter, you'll know more about her than before.**

**Winter is Coming and things are getting out of control for her. What will she do?**

Chapter 18 - Winter Soldier Part 1

_December 31st, 2011_

_I stare out the window, into the black of the night, as I wait for Banner to return with the results. I tried to prepare myself for the answer I've longed for, but when it came, that simple preparation wasn't good enough. Deep down, I knew it was bad. Banner's words only confirmed this._

_"My assumptions were right. It is growing. Every time you used your powers, it enlarges and presses against your brain, which causes your headaches, moments of not being in control of your powers, even the changing of your eye color. From my understanding, it didn't bother you before because you worked hard to not use those powers. But now,"_

_"So, what does this mean?" I know the answer. Maybe I just want him to say it to make it feel real. At Bruce's long face, I understand. "How long do I have?" How long before I die?_

_"If you don't use your powers again, you could live a long life. But," he pauses as he removes his glasses. "but if you use them increasingly, the tumor will continue to grow. And you will die."_

* * *

March 16th, 2012

"Excuse me?"

"How may I help you?"

"Cassie Jackson, FBI. I'm hoping you can point me in the direction of Kenneth Benton."

The man eyes my badge wonderingly. "And what is this regarding?"

"I need to talk to him about a case," I say bluntly, annoyed at the man behind the desk. "Today,"

He, George, by his name-tag, quickly tears his eyes away from my body and swipes his fingers across the keyboard. "Seventh floor, room 717." he nods towards the elevators. "If you have any more questions, feel free to-"

"Thank you, George." I cut him off and make way for the lift. It being mid morning in New York I have to rid with more people than I would like to. Four months after finding I have a tumor like growth in my head that increases my powers daily makes me nervous around people.

I should have taken the stairs.

After several soft dings signaling the arrival of the lift at the first few floors and once the other people filed off, I begin to relax a bit more. My hands were slick and my hair was coming out of the tight bun. The suit I wore was sticking to me with sweat. In short, I was a wreck, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

Kenneth Benton was a friend of Scott Reynolds. In the last three months I dug up everything I could find in the New York libraries about them. Benton worked closely with Reynolds in his research so much so that, before he had a stroke in 1992, he stood to become the next owner of Reynolds International as Reynolds had no living family to pass it along to. I'm hoping that Benton could give me an idea on what type of man Reynolds was, maybe leading to why I'm so drawn to him.

Soon I come upon room 717. I stand opposite of the door, listening to how many people are inside. One heartbeat, clam and steady, thuds evenly in my ears. I grip the handle before I change my mind and break the threshold, signaling my presence.

"Kenneth Benton?"

"Yes?" he says. His heartbeat quickens slightly, enough for me to think that he might try something stupid. But it slows when I show him my badge.

"Cassie Jackson, FBI. I'm here to ask you some questions about one Scott Reynolds." I notice a frown work its way across Benton's face. He motions for me to take a seat before he clasps his hands atop his desk.

"I haven't thought about Scott in, what, years?"

"You two were close friends, am I right?"

Benton nods. "We went to the same collage together. He was a brilliant man, always thinking of ways to make something better."

I put pen to paper, and ask, "How so?"

"After he started Reynolds Inc, that's what it was before Derek Young changed the name, Scott started working on a secret biological engineering project. Something that had to do with the human mind. He was never forward with me, always spoke in critic messages. I didn't know what he was planning." Benton stands, walks to a mini fridge and pulls out two bottles of water. "I thought he was crazy honestly, trying to make it all work but then," he pauses and sips his water.

I decline the water he slid towards me, not wanting it to shoot across the room. The control I have over my powers lesson each day. "What happened next, Mr. Benton?"

"Then Scott met this woman, they fell in love, had a family. Everything changed after that." Kenneth says. "Malia died suddenly a week after their daughter was born. He was broken but he kept it together for his kid. He sold RI to Young because he felt he didn't have the time to run the company and be there for his growing daughter. He took all his personal projects and nixed the bioengineering thing. He worked odd jobs to support his kid, to be there for her, but in the end, that's what got him killed."

I dip my head, straighten my glasses and flip through my pages. "He was killed in a drive-by shooting, walking home that summer night from work. The NYPD found his body that next morning, dumped in the alley next to his townhouse. And when they went to get his daughter-"

"She was gone. The babysitter was dead." Benton finished. I can see the tears welling up in his eyes, hear the sob that cracked in his chest. "The police said that it was a kidnapping and double murder. Still unsolved to this day."

I look Mr. Benton in the eye. I know my coming her opened old wounds and brought back memories he'd rather leave in the past. But I needed him to tell me what he knew. The information he had is what the libraries and online didn't have.

"I have one more question, Mr. Benton. Our records show that Scott didn't want his daughter growing up in the spotlight of his previous workings. After she was born, Scott and his wife wanted to keep her out of the spotlight so they put two initials before her last name. B.C. Reynolds." I ask. "Do you know what they named her?"

Benton actually laughed. It was dry, but a smile did work its way across his aged face, a little bit of light shone in his eyes. "He was paranoid. He thought he work would come back onto his family, his daughter and he wanted to protect her from that. He wanted her to live a normal life, make her own choices, you know?" he sighs, but continues. "Scott and Malia named her after the city she was born in; Brooklyn. Her name was Brooklyn Charlotte Reynolds."

* * *

March 22nd, 2012

_Brooklyn Charlotte Reynolds._

For some reason I can't get the name out of my head. And its not like I'm hearing this name for the first time. I know I've heard this name before Benton told me. I just don't know where I heard it, when I heard it or why.

After I spoke with Benton, I went back to my motel room. There, I reread my notes and findings on Scott Reynolds and found the newspaper clipping that had the address he lived at when he was murdered. The few aged black and white photos aren't doing me any good. I need to see it for myself, in person.

I change into a black long sleeve shirt, matching pants, gloves and boots before pulling my hair into a ponytail. I grab my StarkPhone, my handgun, a knife that I holster in my left boot and my hat.

Reynolds home is located near the Brooklyn Bridge. The city records show that no one has lived there since. It takes me about fifteen minutes of jogging through the back alleys and side streets of Brooklyn to arrive at the aged home. I watch and wait on the snow covered roof for thirty minutes, hidden in the late evening shadows, listening to the home to see if any one was inside. Positive that it was empty, I climb down the fire escape and jimmy open a window.

Stepping inside, I'm welcomed with the sight of what use to be an office. Dust covered papers, chewed on by rodents over the years, littered the floor. The ceiling was covered in water spots, the smell of growing mold hung thinly in the air. A wooden desk and matching chair lay in pieces underneath a large dent in the wall. I step through the doorway just as a chill enters the room.

I enter the hallway, careful where I step as I take it all in. For the most part, it looks like no one has touched anything in years. I come across a single photo hanging by one nail. Shining my flashlight on it, I see whom I know to be Scott Reynolds. The woman he holds close is laying in a hospital bed which leads me to believe that she is his wife, Malia, and the baby in her arms is their daughter, Brooklyn. This photo was taken soon after her birth. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I snap a quick photo of the once happy family. I'm sure I can use it later on.

Gripping the flashlight tighter in hand, I continue, sweeping it back and forth as I go. The only other rooms upstairs in a full bathroom, that was fully cleared out, and a closest. I make my way downstairs and into the living room. I walk the curtains that cover the front windows and door. What I come across next is something that is straight out a movie.

In short, the living room, the kitchen and two bedrooms downstairs were a mess. Bullet holes covered the walls and furniture, photos lay across the flooring, my light sweeps across blood splatter. So much destruction happened that night.

I take another step and something cracks beneath my weight. I stoop down and sweep the pile of glass away from an over turned photo. On the back it says, _Brooklyn's 5th birthday, Summer '93_ in neat handwriting. I turn the picture over and a gasp leaves my mouth.

Sharp gray eyes, brown/blonde hair that brushes her shoulders. A laugh is on her face, matching that of her father as he holds her close to his chest. She looks happy, they both do. But that happiness isn't what caught my attention.

What did is the fact that this girl looks like me.

"You're not really with the FBI, are you?"

I spin around fast, removing my weapon as I did. Training my light and gun on the person I narrow my eyes until I get them focused. "No one has been here since they ruled it unsolved." Benton says stepping closer.

I keep my weapon raised high but the man doesn't seem to be fazed. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing." He takes another step and I find myself lowering my gun, tucking it behind my back. Benton is older and that stoke he had all those years ago have impaired his left side. He's no threat to me. "Over twenty years, I've watched this house. I believed that if Brooklyn was alive in the world somewhere, she'd find her way back home. I wanted to be here waiting if she ever did."

He reaches for the photo in my hand and looks at it longingly. "Why is the Reynolds case so important to-" he stops suddenly, takes his own light away from the image and shines it on my face. "No... it can't be..." he whispers. He looks at the photo again, then at me. I can see realization work its way across his face.

Not liking the feeling I'm getting, I start to back away.

"Wait, please, don't leave."

I raise my hands, but I don't know why. I have no intention of using my powers on a innocent man, but I want to show that I mean no harm. "Stay back. Just, don't."

"Please, Charlie,"

I stop, on foot on stairs. That name, the way he said it, was familiar. "_Charlie_...?"

"Scott's daughter, Brooklyn? I called her Charlie, its a nickname, she loved it when I called her that." he starts to approach me again. "_You_ loved it when I called you that,"

"No no no no no," I grip my head. What he says, the way he says it. I want to believe him. I want to listen to him. "My name... isn't..." a deep growl echo loudly, followed by something shattering.

I hear Benton gasp, then say, "Charlie, its me. Uncle Kenny,"

"No, I'm not," I can feel the wood of the stair railing splintering in my hand. "Get back!"

"Your name is Brooklyn Reynolds,"

"Its K," Not its not. I'm no longer that killer, that monster.

"You were born on June 13th, 1988."

"I was born... January, 18th," Wasn't I?

"Your parents were Scott and Malia,"

"I don't-" My parents? I don't remember my parents.

"Please listen to me, Charlie. Just listen."

A scream, then silence.

* * *

March 23rd, 2012

It was when something cold touched my lips that startles me awake. My eyes snap open, taking in my surroundings. Right away I realize I'm in the Reynolds home, in a child's bedroom. My face is wet, along with a few strands of my hair. I'm slumped against the wall and Kenneth Benton kneels opposite of me, an uncapped bottle of water in his hands.

"Easy, easy." he caps the water and sets it aside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm-" I begin, but I don't know what I should say. My memory, not for the first time, is failing me. "I should go."

Benton makes no move to stop me. He simply nods and stands to his feet, offering me his hand. I grab it and, using the wall as an aid, slowly get to my feet. "I understand. I suppose, you'll want this, too." he holds out a small wooden box, painted white with the initials _BCR_ engraved on the top in blue.

Familiarity hits me again as I grab the box with my right hand. I run my fingers carefully over the letters before opening the item. Inside is a necklace of a small bird, its wings spread wide. "I've... seen this before," I mutter.

"Scott was going to give that to his daughter when she was older. The phoenix, Scott believed, was a symbol that even when life knocks you down, even if it killed you, a new one, a better one, awaits." Benton says. "You just have to walk through the fire to get there."

"How did you find this?"

"I didn't. About a minute after you passed out, you woke up, except it... it wasn't you." Benton sounded confused as he spoke, but he continued. "Your eyes were a fire like red. You walked to this room, went to the closest and tore up the floorboard where Scott hid that. The pictures and things started to fly around the room, around you, as you looked at that box. A white light shot out and you passed out again. By the time I got back from getting the water from my car, you were already coming to."

I close the box and place it in my pocket. Looking around the room, I see that what Benton said seems to be true. Grabbing the man by his shoulders, I say, "You can't stay in New York, Kenny. Its dangerous."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere. I just found you, Charlie, I can't leave." he starts speaking fast, his words mumblings together. "This is truly amazing. Scott would've loved to see this. We have to tell someone. This is what he was working towards!"

"No!"

"But, Charlie-"

"Look, I can't explain, okay? Just, please, go. Go to Hawaii, or Spain, I don't care. You just have to leave New York City." I push him towards the way he came it. "When the time is right, I'll find you. I will find you, okay? Don't look for me."

"Brooklyn," when he uses that name, I almost break. "Please,"

"Just," I grip his shoulders tight, look right into his eyes. "_go_."

"Okay. Okay, I know a place in Eastern Europe. I'll be on the first flight there."

His words are said to my back as I'm already up the stairs, heading towards the fire escape and climbing on to the roof. From afar, I watch Benton get into his van, and drive into the rising sunlight.

I want to scream. I want to punch something, I want to break something, I want to kill-no. No, I'm not going back to the life I worked so hard to leave in the past. Never again.

I shove my hands into my pockets to warm them up, and it brushes something. I pull out the photo of Brooklyn Reynolds 5th birthday, the one with her and Scott, out of my front pocket. Benton must've left it for me. Knowing what I have to do next, I walk a few more blocks along the rooftops before going back to street level. Soon I reach the motel, shower and pack my bag.

I haven't decided where I'm heading, but when I get there, I'll be one step closer to finding out who I really am.

* * *

April 3rd, 2012

"C'mon, I know you can hit harder than that."

"So what if I can?"

"Then I want you to hit harder. Don't hold back."

"I don't want to hurt you, Jason."

"You won't. I mean, have you looked at me late-?"

Before he can finish his question, I throw a double jab at his jaw and a swift thrust with my knee into his ribs. He's dazed, having not seen my attack coming so quickly, and I make my final strike. I pull Jason's last arm back, spinning him in a flip that lands him on the mat. I raise my fist to go for the final blow but he taps the mat three times. With a huff I stand and walk towards the corner where my things are, spit out my mouthguard and take a long pull from my water bottle.

"What?" asks Jason as he painfully rolls onto his side. "You aren't going to help me up?"

"I probably would've if you didn't do that."

"Do what?"

"Oh, come off it, Jay. I said I just wanted a mild spar, not a real match!" I shout. "I could've hurt you!"

"I seriously doubt it,"

I don't. If he knew the real me, he wouldn't either.

It has been about a week since what occurred in New York. The necklace of the phoenix I found in Reynolds home hangs around my neck, along with the memories of what happened. I haven't talked to Kenneth Benton since then; its better this way. I can only hope that he did as I said and left the country. Maybe then, no one will be able to find him.

Five days ago I used my phone to search the name and face of Brooklyn Reynolds in the world wide database. I didn't get a single match. It was as if the chile never existed or, if she did, someone went through great lengths to erase any and all traces of her.

Then two days ago I used the technology on my phone to run the photo of five year old Brooklyn Reynolds against one of myself. I knew it would be a long shot, of seeing how accurate the scan and match would be but I had to know and I couldn't wait until I saw Tony Stark or his more advanced tech next.

After what seemed like years, a 76% positive match appeared. According to Stark's tech and using an old photo, I got a 76% match that Brooklyn Reynolds, a girl missing since 1993, and I, an assassin who can control things and people with her mind, are one in the same. And I didn't know how to process it.

Undoing my gloves, I climb out of the ring and make for the locker rooms. I've pushed myself too hard these last few days. Bruce said that I shouldn't overdo things; that the more I excerpt myself the higher likelihood of my powers becoming uncontrollable. And if my powers are uncontrolled, then...yeah. He compared it to him not being able to get overly excited; that's how he keeps the other guy in check. He made it sound easy.

I gently pull on the door when I hear a set of footsteps behind me. "The answer is no." I say, not bothering to turn around. I know who it is. And I really don't want to see anyone of them.

"It's good to see you too, Kate." says Agent Romanoff. "Or have you been going by some other name these days?"

"What do you want?" I ask roughly, turning to face Romanoff. The SHIELD agent is dressed in pants and a leather jacket, making her stand out in the gym. Yet, she somehow manages to blend in at the same time. Spies are good like that, I guess.

"Let's you and I talk," Romanoff says as she motions for me to go to the locker room. I go first, followed closely but the SHIELD agent, leaving before anyone sees us. "Have you been keeping busy?"

"How 'bout we skip the small talk and you cut to the point." I grab a towel and head for the showers. I turn on the hot water and strip down, waiting for her to begin.

"You want to tell me what you were doing in New York? I'd ask Kennth Benton, but he's AWOL."

"No." I reply flatly stepping into the steaming spray. I don't want to know how they know about Benton. The less she and SHIELD know about what I've found, the better. "Do you want to tell me why you're _still_ keeping tabs on me? Or why you're in D.C.?"

"Fury is sending us on a mission. We could use someone like you."

"We? We as in-"

"Me, Rogers, SHIELD, however you want to look at it."

"Rogers?" I guess he took Fury up on that offer after all.

"He's waiting in the car. He would've come in and said hello himself, but ever since that museum of his World War II days with the Howling Commandos as Captain America was added in the mall, he's less inclined to show himself without a baseball cap covering his face." she laughs. I have a hard time believing that it was a real one. "Also, he might attract too much attention in that running gear of his."

I think she's trying to get me to let my guard down, to let her in. The humor wasn't working for me because a mission, a mission for SHIELD, is the last thing I wanted to hear the agent say. I turn the tap and dry off, stepping out of the shower and begin to get dressed. "I'm not a SHIELD agent-"

"Neither is Rogers-"

"But he works for them. I don't. I'm sure there are plenty of people Fury can pull to go along with you."

"Fury asked for you personally."

I pause at those words, the shirt halfway down my torso. "Why?"

"He wasn't very straight with the why, Kate, but I agree with him." Agent Romanoff begins to fill me in on the mission, even though I didn't accept the offer to join them. Nothing was simple when hostages are involved. When she's finished, I think it over. "Well?"

"Why do you people keep coming to me?" I brush past her and head for the front door, pulling my bag onto my back.

"Our flight leaves in one hour. The STRIKE team will meet us there. We'll debrief on the way."

"Great." I get in my car and turn the engine. Romanoff gets into a waiting Corvette and quickly pulls away from the curb. I follow suit, still unsure why I agreed, but pleased to have something like a mission to take my mind off of things more personal.

Hopefully, this doesn't get me killed.

**I'm very excited to write The Winter Soldier film. I have so much planned and I can't wait to share it with you all. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it and let me know what you thought.**


	19. Winter Soldier Part 2

**Happy 34th Birthday Chris Evans, and 25th Birthday Aaron Taylor-Johnson. One year ago, I posted the first chapter of this ****story. I never knew how far I'd actually get before I gave up, yet here I am, now 19 chapters in to _Clandestine_. I'd like to thank you all who've been here with me since the beginning and those who have since joined my MCU world. Here's to the future!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 19 - Winter Soldier Part 2

April 4th, 2012

"Target is a mobile satellite launch platform, the Lemurian Star. Pirates overtook the ship 93 minutes ago."

"Any demands?"

"Billion and a half."

"Why so steep?"

"Because its SHIELD's"

I fold my arms at the debrief continues. "So its not off course, its trespassing." I say. putting two and two together. Honestly, I'm not surprised that I wasn't told about this information.

The STRIKE team leader, Rumlow, eyes me. Agent Romanoff says something about about SHIELD having a good reason for being in these waters. Captain Rogers mutters something about Fury that I have to agree with. This has the makings of being an interesting mission.

"How many pirates on the ship?"

"25. Top mercs, led by this guy, George Batroc. Ex-DGSE, Action Division." Rumlow sweeps a few images across the screen as he talks about Batroc's history. 36 kill missions, a knack for maximum casualties. I know the type.

"What about the hostages?"

"Mostly techs, one officer, Jasper Sitwell. They're in the galley."

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" says Steve. "Alright, Kate, you and I are gonna clear the deck. I'lll look for any sign of Batroc. Nat, you kill the engine and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, get them to the life pods, get them out. Let's move."

Following Cap's orders, I secure my channel and weapons. I strap the parachute on when I see Rumlow come up beside me.

"When they told me someone from the outside was coming along for this op, someone with history of working with SHIELD, I wasn't expecting another Avenger." he says evening.

"I'm not an Avenger."

"But you were there? In The Battle of New York, right?" I don't look at him but I can hear the way he's fishing for information. His own gear in place, he presses on. "So, what were you before? A mercenary? In the military, like Rogers? Maybe the FBI or CIA?"

I smile at the man, mostly to amuse him, and say, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

_"We're nearing the drop zone, Cap."_

"Kate, you ready?" Rogers questions over the roar of the wind.

"All set." I walk over and join him near the edge. The wind is strong and I can see we're above the thin clouds.

"You know, Rogers, if you ask Kristin from statistics, she'd probably say yes."

"That's why I don't ask."

"Too shy, or too scared?"

I watch with amusement as Rogers shrugs his shoulders while heading towards the edge. "Too busy," he shouts before leaping out of the plane. I shake my head, and follow suit.

The wind bites at me as I sail downward towards the black waters. I mentally calculate the distance and, at around one hundred feet, release the chute from my back, slowing my descent. I see one pirate within my landing area. Detaching the chute from my back then raising my arms, I keep my legs together right before tucking my body and rolling into a safe landing on deck. The merc doesn't know what hit him as I grab his head and slam it into the railing.

I continue my sweep and come across three more pirates, heavily armed and unaware. When the closest one is within reach, I strike first, kicking his beind his knees and slamming my fist into his jaw. Another charges at me with a long blade. I jump back out of the deadly swipe, spin beneath his jab. Cleanly grabbing his arm, I twist it behind him, disarming him before throwing him overboard. Two more arrive at the same time. I throw a series of punches and kicks before landing a strong kick to ones chest. He's winded and has no time to react to the chokehold I have around his neck. His body goes limp within seconds and I gently place him on the floor. I dispatch the others in quick fashion and round the ship to where I'm to meet Captain Rogers.

_"Hostages en route to extraction."_ Rumlow's voice comes over comms. _"Romanoff missed the rendezvous point, Cap. Hostiles are still in play."_

_"Kate, circle back, meet Rumlow and protect the hostages."_

I hold my wrist up and reply, "Copy that," before jogging to find the SHIELD agent. I'm scanning the open deck for any mercs when I see the unmistakable red hair leaning over a computer. "What are you doing?" I manage to ask right before the door opposite of us crashes down, with Rogers and Batroc in tow.

"Well, this is awkward."

"Again, what are you doing?" I repeat as I stalk over to look at the monitors for myself.

"Backing up the hard drive, its a good habit to get into."

"You were suppose to meet with Rumlow and Kate to protect the hostages." Rogers says coming into view.

"It's kinda hard for her to do that when she's saving SHIELD intel." I say as I watch the progress bar inch closer to 100 percent.

"Whatever I can get my hands on, that is."

"Our mission was to rescue the hostages."

"No, that was your mission. And you've done it beautifully."

"Then what was my mission, Romanoff? An extra layer of protection to make sure that Fury got his secrets back safe and sound?" my words come out irritated and sharp. I clench my fists, the leather of my gloves squeaking loudly.

Rogers grabs Romanoff's arm as she goes to walk away. "You just jeopardized this entire operation."

"I think that's overstating things."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Batroc move. He's fast and I don't have time to react before he throws a grenade at us. Captain Rogers knocks it back with his shield but that does little for us. Moving quickly, he grabs Romanoff and they jump through a window that the agent shot out. Right on their heels, I jump backwards through the window, and with my hands raised, put up a shield of my own to prevent the explosion from going any further, enveloping it in a case of energy as the flames grew.

I land hard on the ground, breaking my focus. Glass rains down around us as smoke fills the room. I wince as I push myself back until I'm leaning against the wall. I open my eyes, not remembering closing them, and see that my hands are shaking and a faint white swirls around them. I snap my head up when I hear Romanoff talking. Her words are inaudible but Rogers' aren't. "You're damn right," he says. Finally he looks at me, his eyes questioning. He shakes his head before leaving.

I pull myself up to my feet, leaning heavily against the wall. Did he see what I did? If so, then things just got more complicated.

* * *

As I walk through the halls of the Triskelion, I can feel the eyes of everyone I pass on me. My black suit stands out against the business attire of the others, among other things. I don't belong in a place like this and yet, I continue to find myself in this position.

After the mission debrief I follow the directions Romanoff gave to me Fury's office and knock on the door. Soon after it opens and the director walks out with Rogers right behind him. I don't miss the look the captain gives me.

"Kate, please follow me." Fury says flatly.

I turn on my heel, stalking after the two men. "We need to talk, Fury."

"Yes, we do. But first, I'm going to show you and Captain Rogers something important." he looks at me with his good eye. "Then we can discuss the other matter."

We step into the elevator, Fury in the middle and Rogers and I taking the opposite sides. "Insight bay."

_"Captain Rogers and Kate Lynn do not have clearance for Project Insight."_

"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J."

I lean against the wall as the lift beings its decent. I keep my gaze on the ground, but the feeling of Rogers eyes on me is almost unbearable. Almost. I can hear the two men going back and forth in a story, but I could care less.

The only thing I'm worried about is how much time I took off of my life by using my abilties.

"I know. They're a little bit bigger than a .22." I stand up straighter upon seeing what Project insight was. Three Hellicarriers stand in front of us as we exit the lift. Fury goes on about how their next gen, linked to satellites.

_Shit._

"You're awful quite, Kate." Fury says in my direction.

"You don't want you know whats on my mind."

"With this, we can neutralize a lot of threats before they happen." he must have read my face, or remembered my past. What SHIELD is, what they're becoming, its what I worked so hard to get out of. I can't go back to that life.

"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime."

"We can't afford to wait that long."

"Whose 'we'?"

Fury sighs. "After New York, I convinced the World Security Council quantum surge in threat analysis. For once, we're way ahead of the curve."

"By holding a gun to everyone on Earth and calling it protection?" I ask. "This isn't protection. And it doesn't make SHIELD any better than the other people."

"I can't speak on what you've done, Kate. But you, Rogers, I've read those SSR files. Greatest Generation? You guys did some nasty stuff."

"Yeah, we compromised. In some ways that made us not sleep so well at night." Rogers replies. "But we did it so that people could be free. This isn't freedom." he points to the Hellicarriers. "This is fear."

"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be." Nick Fury takes a step towards Rogers and makes a point to eye me once more. I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for him to make a move. "And its getting damn near past time you two get with that program."

I turn away before I make a choice that I won't be able to come back from. I clench my fists tight in a effort to keep them from shaking so much, to keep my powers from escaping. Fury's words hit me deep; I know what I did and no matter how hard I try, I can't forget.

Eventually I find myself in the locker room, showered and dressed in my own clothes. I gather my things I head down to the garage where my car sits idly in the back. After I get in, I pull out my phone and dial one of the few numbers in the contact list. It rings once before I hear a click.

"I need your help with something."

_"Meet me outside the Mall in twenty."_

* * *

Walking the Mall in DC is nice. Even for a moment, I take in the way the tourists walk and sightsee, absorbing in all the history. If they knew what went on behind the scenes, they probably wouldn't be taking photos.

I shove my hands in my jacket pocket as I head to the meeting place. My hair is blown into my face and I use my hand to tuck it behind my ear before returning to the comforting pockets. Five minutes later, the Mall is at my back, the area around me clear as I see Agent Romanoff come into view.

"I figured it must be really important if your calling me for help." she says from her seat on a bench over seeing the Mall.

"It is important, Agent Romanoff." I say as I take the seat next to her. I sit back and cross my legs at the knee, keeping my hands hidden in my pocket. "And I can't do it without you."

What I'm going to ask is big. I don't have anyone else to go to. I'm not saying that I trust the SHIELD, I certainly don't trust her employer, but when it comes to something as big as this, I don't think I could go to anyone else.

"You can call me Natasha." she tilts her head. "What is it you need?"

"My abilities are growing. I don't have much control over it like I use to," I tell her about what Bruce Banner found, the way the tumour grows every time I use my powers. "I did what I had to back on the Lemurian Star. I wasn't thinking about the consequences. But now," I take my hand out of my pocket and show her what I mean.

I put on a pair of gloves before I left SHIELD headquarters. Removing the one from my left hand, I show the assassin how my hands are flickering a faint white hue. The same white that Tony Stark spotted. I pull the glove back on, adding, "It's getting worse. Banner doesn't know how much time I have. So, if push comes to shove, here's what I'll need from you."

After five minutes of talking, I stop. Natasha has a blank look on her face but she nods. "Okay. I can do that. You have my word." She holds up her phone, a message on the screen.

"Fury is here for you." she motions to the black SUV waiting at the bottom on the hill.

"Thank you, Natasha." I walk down the hill as and get into the passenger seat of the black vehicle. Fury speeds off without greeting, hitting the streets quickly.

We sit in silence for awhile as he drives do the street. I drum my fingers against my leg, fidgeting. This drags on. Finally, I can't take it anymore. "If you don't tell me why I'm here I'm getting out."

"Your the one who wanted to talk, Kate." Fury doesn't look at me as he speaks, focusing on the road. "so talk."

"Yeah, after that mission that could've gone sideways."

"But it didn't,"

I huff. "There are a lot of reasons as to why it didn't. If Captain Rogers didn't get himself and Agent Romanoff out in time, they'd be dead."

We slow to a stop at a red light. Fury stares at me intently with his good eye, "And if you didn't contain the blast radius, more would've been lost." the SHIELD director sighs, "Agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers put it in their report about what happened. For the time being, us four are the only people who know about it. What's with the gloves?"

I see him staring at my hands. I stop running my fingers, turning to stare out the window instead. "None of your business."

A police car pulls up beside us and the cops inside the cruiser eye us. "Do you want to see my lease?" Fury asks, obviously irritated.

A second later, the police officer turns on his sirens. I slide deeper into my seat, wondering how much worse this day could get. We are slowly following the car when something rams into the drivers side of the SUV. My head slams against the glass window and the car spins slightly before coming to a rest on the curb. We are rammed against from the other three sides of the car as we are pinned in. I look around, not understanding what was happening.

_"Multiple injuries detected."_ the car speaks. Of course the car speaks. What doesn't SHIELD have?

"Open the glove box. Hand me the vial at the bottom." Fury's talking through labored breathes. I do as he says, handing him what he needs.

"What's going on?" I manage to ask as a black SUV speeds past us. Men in SWAT gear exit the back, armed heavily. "Fury!"

_"DC police dispatch shows no units in this area."_

"What does that mean?" I question. I have my hands ready, and I wait. "Who are they?"

"Get us out of here."

"Propulsion systems offline."

"Then reboot, dammit!"

Gunfire hits the vehicle in a tapping that doesn't stop. Soon they appear with a strange looking device. They set it up on the drivers side and a retractable arm slams into the cracked glass.

_"Warning, window integrity compromised."_

"You think?" Fury pushes me into the back seat as he takes the passenger side. "How long till propulsion?"

_"Calculating."_ the beam slams us again, rocking the car back on to wheels. _"Window integrity 31%. Deploying counter measures."_

"Hold that order!"

The window is down to 19%. Then 1%. Finally, Fury gives the go ahead and a machine gun appears from the middle console. Glass shatters and bodies fall. In the middle of all of this the cars propulsion systems came back online and we managed get free of the cruisers. I hear Fury wince, holding his side. Not thinking, I dive into the drivers seat and take the wheel.

"Initiate vertical takeoff." Fury commands. but the flight systems are damaged. He tries are few more options but those are all dead, too. The only thing that wasn't damaged was the AC.

"Can you loose them?" Fury asks. I take a second to look at the man just as he glances over his shoulder with a pained look covering his face.

I jerk the wheel hard to the left, then back to the right as I worked to loose our tail and not endanger the public anymore then what they are already. "What do you think I'm trying to do?"

_"Traffic ahead."_

"Give me a alternate route."

I hit the breaks, turning hard right and follow the directions the car is giving, taking 17th Avenue after three blocks. The vehicles in front of us are close together; I speed down the centre of the two lane street, before it becomes a standstill.

Gunfire spills through the broken window. I grip the wheel tighter with my right hand and, while using my left hand, I use my powers to put up a shield. The pain in my left arm tells me that I'm not fast enough to prevent the bullets from hitting their intended mark. Blood runs freely from my arm as I turn the wheel and speed forward.

Somehow I manage to get us clear and back into the open road. "Dammit, Fury, I need a place to go! A safe house, a bunker, something!"

"Get us. Off. The grid."

_"Calculating route to safe location."_

I hit the gas harder as I work to put distance in-between any cars that may still be following us. The front windshield is all but broken, the back shattered too much to see through. My vision swims in and out of focus. I feel something warm running down my face.

"Kate? Kate!"

I shake my head to clear it, but by then, it was too late.

There, standing in the middle of the road, was a man. He wore black gear that was all too familiar, a mask covering his face. But I knew who he was. And it scared me.

He raised his arm, aiming something, and fired. By the time I realized what it was, the bottom of the SUV upended in the explosion, sending us flying on the front two wheels before landing hard on the roof. I could hear the sound of metal grinding agains the concrete road, see the sparks shooting around before be finally slowed to a stop.

I wince as I roll onto my side. Glass digs deeper into my arm, pain dances in my entire being. Through the broken window and the smoke, I see the man stalking towards the overturned vehicle. Painfully, I move my left hand up by my head, stifling a scream at the pull in my side. I wait until he's closer, even knowing what using my powers will do to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the white hue seeping through my gloves, dancing around my hand like a thin fog. Just when I'm about to strike, Fury touches my shoulder. I look over and see a small device in his hand, its end glowing blue. He shakes his head before cutting a hole in the ground where we soon disappear beneath the streets of DC.

**Ahhhh, he's here! And Kate/Brooklyn knows who he is! Any guesses as to what Kate/Brooklyn asked of Natasha? (or when she'll finally see herself as Brooklyn Reynolds?) I'm eager to write ****their growing friendship and my OC's growth throughout TWS.**

**Review?**


	20. Winter Soldier Part 3

Chapter 20 - Winter Soldier Part 3

"You look like shit."

"Yeah, well, you don't look like a million bucks either."

"You... shouldn't drink so much,"

"Drinking doesn't do anything for me these days."

I'm leaning against the wall, beneath the window, as an old tune plays in the background, low behind the talking of Fury and I. He told me that Captain Roger's place was bugged; I'm not sure what surprised me more. The fact that I was in Steve's home or the fact that SHIELD has it wired.

Suddenly, I hear voices. A female and male, the latter which I recognize to be Steve's. After about a minute, they stop talking. Thirty seconds later I hear a window being slid up. Careful footstep sound on the floor, and soon I see the blond hair of Rogers.

"I don't remember giving you a key." he says. Even in the dim light I can tell he isn't pleased to see the director of SHIELD and a mysterious assassin in his house. I can't blame him.

"Between the two of us, you think we'd need one?" Fury sits up with an audible groan. I stay seated on the ground, not sure I could move even if I wanted to. "My wife kicked me out. Kate and I, well, we had a few too many drinks."

"I didn't know you were married. Or much of a drinker."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

"And Kate." I flinch at the captains words. Yes, there is a lot I haven't told him. But it was for the best. At the moment I made the decision to not tell him I have abilities, I didn't regret it. Now, seeing the way he looks at me, I'm starting to.

"And that's the problem." Steve flicks on the light and his eyes go wide at the sight of Fury and I. Our wounds look far worse in the light than it did in the dark. My head wound still bleeds freely, matting my hair in place. In the back of my mind I should be worried that I'm not healing as fast as I normally would. But I'm not. Not with what I know to be happening.

Fury turns off the light and types something on his phone. At the look of Steve's face when he reads the message, I know Fury told him that SHIELD is listening.

"We're sorry to have to do this, but we had no place else to crash." Fury types in a new message, this one I see before he turns the screen to Rogers. _SHIELD COMPROMISED._

"Who else knows about the two of you?"

"Just," Fury jots down a third message. _YOU AND US. _"my friends."

"Is that what we are?"

"That's up to you."

Without warning bullets cut through the wall behind Fury. He yells as he crumbles to the ground. I cover my head as the hail of metal continues to come. I react and put up a shield right as Steve grabs Fury and drags him behind a wall. Through the window I see the figure from earlier, the man who took my place. The one sent to kill me. He on the rooftops across the way. I make eye contact before he take off.

I look over and see Fury say something to Steve. The front door is kicked open and a blond haired woman entered with a weapon raised. I miss any exchange that might have happened because the room is violently spinning. Blood runs from my nose and my head pounds. I push it down and pull myself to my feet just as Steve runs past me.

"Steve, wait! Steve!" I yell after Rogers. He doesn't know what he's getting into. I do. And I can't let him face it alone. "Steve!"

I follow the soldier closely, step for step, as he chases the masked man. Through windows, doors, sailing onto rooftops until the end. I catch a glance of the man, the flash of his metal arm right as he turns and catches the shield Steve threw at him. I watch in fascination as he throws it back, sending the captain back sliding on his heels.

In the blink of an eye, the man in black has vanished. The wind whips my hair as I look around the dark of night. But I don't see anything. He's simply gone.

I fight to catch my breathe, starting to feel my injuries from the crash more. I stifle a wince, bitting my lip, but it wasn't enough as Rogers jogs over to me.

"You need to get to the hospital." he reaches out for me but I jerk away.

"I'm fine." I brush past him, doubling over at the waist, hoping to slow my breathing enough to where I can walk. "I just need a minute."

"Do you want to take this minute to explain some things to me?"

"Not really,"

"Kate-"

"Look, just leave it. Okay?" I turn my back on the soldier, holding my side. The last thing I want to do it tell him that my powers came from an experiment trying to recreate the serum that made him what he is. Maybe he'll trust me and leave well enough alone.

* * *

_Why is he here? Why'd he come after me again? Why now?_

I'm pulling on my jacket when the door to my room is opened. I know its not a nurse because the footsteps are too heavy. Steve's voice breaks through my thoughts, "Fury didn't make it." he tells me. I already know this; I listened to the doctors call his TOD while I was getting patched up in here. "Yeah. I know."

He doesn't ask how, which I'm grateful for. Instead he asks a question I wasn't expecting, "You know the shooter. Who is he?"

"I don't _know_ who he is." I face Rogers, but don't meet his gaze. "What I do know is that he's my replacement, from where I was before SHIELD got a hold of me. He was sent to kill me before I joined in the search for the Cube."

"And that was where, exactly?"

"_That_ doesn't matter. What does is it was all a secret, and a life I'd like to forget. But it seems keen on following me where ever I go." I start to pace in the small room as I tell Steve what I know about the shooter. "He found us on the way from HQ, blew up the car. I thought he was coming to finish the job since I bested him before; I think Fury was his assignment this time. There's no way in hell he knew I was in DC, let alone with Fury. And whoever he is, I don't think we've seen the last of him."

"Kate?" Rumlow's voice comes through the door. I go to open it, revealing the STRIKE leader and his team. "You and Rogers are wanted back at HQ." he tells me.

"Yeah, alright, one minute." There's more I need to tell Steve. Information that I need to get out in the open."

"Now." Rumlow commands, even though he can't give me orders.

I look back at Steve who gives a small nod. We follow the STRIKE team out to waiting black SUVs and arrive at HQ ten minutes later.

I'm told that we're prepping for a mission, but someone wants to see us first. After I'm dressed in my gear, I head towards the office of Alexander Pierce. Captain Rogers is standing in the hall near the elevator with a look on his face that I can't read. His eyes catch mine and he shakes his head just at a man who looks like holds much power steps in front of me.

"Kate, I'm Alexander Pierce. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Sir." I greet. Stepping into his office, he shuts the door behind me. He motions for me to take a seat and I do but not without the feeling that something is off. I wonder if Steve felt this too, if he was trying to warn me about something, which is why he shook his head.

"So tell me, Kate, how does a woman like you end up fighting an alien invasion alongside the likes of The Avengers?"

Is he really starting off with that? "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Well, how does some one like you, end up on SHIELD's radar?" the man walks over to the bay windows, watching the city of DC from afar. Like a bird in it's nest. "There aren't any files with the name "Kate Lynn" in the SHIELD database, no history of you in the national or international database. It's like you don't exist. And I think that is because of what Nick Fury did."

He presses on, "What did you do before you helped him that first time? Were you a mercenary? A soldier? A government agent?"

I don't like this. The way he's fishing for information, asking these questions. It's like he knows something, but doesn't want to say it.

"What I did before is in the past. I'm on my own nowadays."

"And yet, at Fury's every beck and call. I wonder, if he knew something the rest of us didn't. If that's the reason why you worked for him and SHIELD."

"I don't work for anyone. Like I said, I'm on my own." I stand to my feet and look him in the eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to prepare for."

Turning on my heel, I head towards the door. I keep my steps slow, and reach for the handle just as he says, "Every secret is reveled, Kate. Even when we don't want them to be. You'd best remember that."

"What did he want to talk to you about?" Steve questions me in a serious tone, one, I assume, he doesn't use too often, when I step into the hall.

"Fury, mainly." I say as we step into the lift. I still have this uneasy feeling. Leaning against the railing, I play Pierce's words over in my head. At Steve's command to where we want to go, I hear the door closing, before it opens again.

"Rogers, Kate." I shift into a corner as Rumlow and his men file in. "Evidence found some fibers they want us to see. You want me to get the tact team ready?"

"No, let's wait and see what it is first."

"Right." Rumlow is quite for a second before he says, "I'm sorry about what happened to Fury. Messed up what happened to him."

"Thank you."

The STRIKE leader turns towards me, "I heard you were there too, Kate. Took a bullet to the arm? You alright?" at first glance, the words sound sincere. It's the way he eyes me, the ways he lingers on my hands, the way he shifts his body slightly that throws me off.

"I'm good." I reply, thankful that my suit covers what injures I received. Wounds that have healed faster than a normal human, but still slower than wounds normally did for me.

The lift stops twice more. Men in suits and tact gear stand in front of me like a wall. A larger man in gear directly in front of me has his hand firmly on his weapon. His arms are tense and his stance is wide. Another man in a suit to my right stares out the window as we descend, sweat running along his brow. Over the shoulder of one to my right, I can see Rogers eyeing those around him. Seconds pass before his blue eyes land on me.

My jaw is tight. The soldier has realized what I have. The killer in me knows I can take these men out with ease, but the person I've become since doesn't want anymore blood on my hands. I ready myself for what's about to come.

"Before we get started," Steve says. "does anyone want to get out?"

Hands grip my arms and torso, pushing me back into the wall. Something is clamped around my wrists, a strong magnetic force pulls me back to the metal behind me. I resist, gritting my teeth until I'm far enough away from the metal. I punch the man on my right with a cross hook, catching him square on the jaw and bring my elbow back into the throat of another. I grip the big guys arm and pull it behind him and up; he yells just as I kick out at another charging at me.

Strong volts of electricity course through my veins, sending me to one knee. An arm is wrapped around my neck, depriving me of oxygen. My vision is dancing as the shocks runs through me when I snap.

Reaching back around, I flip the man over me and send an open palm to his neck. He gags long enough to catch a gasp of air before I use his own device and shock him until he blacked out. Looking over my shoulder through my hair, I see Rogers and Rumlow facing off.

"Whoa, whoa, you two." he breathlessly says. "I just want you to know, this isn't personal!"

Steve blocks Rumlow's first move, but isn't fast enough to dodge the strike of shock. While Rogers is down, Rumlow comes at me with his other weapon and jabs it into my chest. My sight goes dark around the edges. I grit my teeth at the volts of power course through me, knocking me down to my knees.

Then, with strength I didn't know I had, I grip the wand in my hands, absorbing the shocks like a sponge. Slowly, I get to my feet, and send the volts back into Rumlow, sending us both flying back into the wall.

I'm gasping for breathe, watching Rogers and Rumlow go back and forth, trading blows until I step in to end it. From my spot on the floor, raising one hand, I send the STRIKE leader up into the lights, the white hue dancing around him before he comes crashing down.

Rogers looks at the damage done. "It kinda feels personal." he grabs his shield and rams it into the magnetic cuff, which falls off with a clang. I follow suit by gesturing with my hand making the cuffs around my own wrists shatter into tiny pieces.

"You good?" I ask standing. Steve nods. I guess that's all I'm going to get out of him. "Then let's get out of here." I tap the elevator controls to open the door, which reveals a SWAT team standing with weapons raised.

"Drop the shield, and put your hands in the air!" without thinking, I pull apart the cables holding the lift and send us flying down until we jolt to a halt. I hold into the rails as Steve pulls apart the door. I see that we're in-between floors and more agents are coming for us. After the door is closed again, I begin to look around for a way out.

"Give it up! Get that door open! There's no where to go!"

Looking down, I see the ground level. We're about twelve floors up, but this seems to be our only way. I'm uneasy on my feet and my glove is stained with my blood. The pounding in my head is getting worse, a sign, I know to hold bad news.

"Do you trust me?" I'm startled by Steve's sudden question. Even more so when I find myself nodding before I think it over. Trust isn't something I know, but with Rogers, I see that I do it with ease. "Okay."

We back up as far as we can and he wraps his right arm around my waist. Taking two steps we crash through the glass and fly down towards the ground. Steve lifts the shield on his left arm seconds before be collide with the overhang. Right before we slam into the ground, I slow our speed enough to where the impact is lessened. The air is knocked from our lungs and I roll out of Steve's arm and onto the shattered glass.

"C'mon, Steve. C'mon." I all but pull the soldier up and we race towards the garage. Once there, we reach his bike where he pulls on his helmet, throws his leg over the seat and turns the engine. I quickly get on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he speeds towards the closing doors.

"They're closing the bridge!" I yell when I see the steel strips and metal arms cross down. A quinjet flies overhead, a gun aiming at us.

_"Stand down, Captain Rogers. Stand down. Repeat, stand down."_

"Hang on!" he guns the engines, avoiding the bullets that struck the ground around us. Against my better judgement, I do the opposite of what he says.

I wait until we're closer to the jet before I strike. With a shot of power, I destroy the engine on the left side. Rogers hits the brakes and I flip off just as he takes out the rest of the jet before landing behind me.

Not liking being in the open any more than he does, we head for the trees and out of sight.

* * *

We couldn't run about DC in our SHIELD uniforms, that much was obvious, and we couldn't exactly buy a new set of clothes either. Going to our homes was out of question so that left us with one choice. Rogers wasn't the spy type, so he didn't know what to do. I told him I'd get all he'd need and less than two minutes later I handed over sneakers, sweats and a hoodie that I swiped from a guy playing street ball. I'm dressed nearly the same way; my only problem is that clothes are a bit baggy but I can't complain about that right now.

After he was dressed he said there was something he needed to get from the hospital. I already knew what it was. "The drive Fury gave you," I state as we walk the halls.

"How'd you know?"

"I saw him give it to you. Didn't know what you did with it until now." I look around the floor, surprised to see that SHIELD has cleared out all of their agents from this area. "We should split up. They'll be expecting us to be together."

"Right."

I take the the long way around the corridor so that I'm on the opposite side of the vending machine where he stashed the drive. Hanging back until he retrieves it, I watch from afar. When he stops and makes no move to get inside, I know something is wrong. What I don't expect is to see Agent Romanoff come up behind the soldier.

I'm already moving towards the side room when Rogers grabs the agents arm and pulls her inside.

"Where is it?" I asking as I remove my hood.

"Safe."

"Do better."

"Where'd you get it?"

"Why would I tell you?"

Realization washes over her face. "Fury gave it to you. Why?"

"What's on it?"

"I don't know."

"Stop lying!" I slam my hand into the walling beside her head. It cracks slightly and for a short moment, I see fear in her eyes.

"Kate," Rogers voice is soft. I step away and lean against the sink while they talk. A mirror hangs nearby and I see the reason why Natasha was scared; my eyes are glowing. It takes a minute before they return to their normal grey irises.

"I know who killed Fury."

My breathe catches in my throat. "What did you just say?"

She doesn't repeat her answer, instead telling us, "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exist. The ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. Stories say that he took over another assassins position. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in what is believed to go back over 50 years."

_The Winter Soldier?_ Its starting to make sense now. The Alpha program, it was just a safety net, another means of making sure the work got done. If the Winter Soldier was kept in, say, cryo, then that would've surely been when I was on a mission. Then something happened they hadn't expected: I escaped. They sent him to terminate me when they nixed the program. They're tying up loose ends. And I'm the one they can't catch.

"Like you said, he's a ghost story."

I walk over and grab the drive out of Natasha's hand. "Then let's find out what the ghost wants."

**Review?**


	21. Winter Soldier Part 4

**Here's the next chapter. E****njoy!**

Chapter 21 - Winter Soldier Part 4

"The first rule about going on the run is don't run, walk."

"If I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off."

I walk a few paces behind Natasha and Steve. SHIELD will be looking for us to be close together. I'd rather keep my distance from the other two, plus I've noticed that they seem to be better together than apart. After we changed into civilian clothes, we headed to a mall where we easily blended in. Our top priority was to see what was on the drive, even if it meant being out in the open.

Natasha pointed to an Apple store where she and Steve would access the drive. Once the drive is activated, SHIELD will know our exact location. I'll keep watch on the outside while they get what we need.

_"Kate, t-minus nine minutes from,"_ Natasha says. Even though we don't have comms, she knows I can hear her. _"now."_

I catch Steve's eye and nod once. Picking up a book, I open item and scan the pages while watching my surroundings.

Children running in circles, friends shopping, more tourists than this state knows what to do with. Then I see him. Rumlow, standing at the top of the escalator directly across from me. I pull my hat down more over my hair and set the book back on the shelf before making my way towards Steve and Natasha.

"Can I help you two with something?" an employee asks just as I walk up.

Natasha is quick to respond, "No. I was just helping my friends pick out a honeymoon destination."

I follow her lead, wrapping my arm around Steve's waist and leaning my head against hit shoulder. "Yeah. Less than two months now." I smile at the man, hopping that he leaves soon.

"Right. We're getting married." Steve remarks not missing a beat.

"Congratulations. Where are you guys thinking about going?"

"Uh," Steve looks at eh computer, "New Jersey."

Really? You couldn't say Hawaii? "Our family lives in the area. We don't want to go too far." I turn towards Romanoff, whispering, "They're here. We need to go. Now."

"Almost finished."

"You know, I have the exact same glasses." the Apple guy says.

"Wow, you two are practically twins."

"I wish." I smile as the men gestures at Steve's body. "Specimen." he laughs as he backs away. "And if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron."

"Thank you." I remove my arm from around Rogers's waist and step to the other side of Natasha, peering over her shoulder. "Hurry up."

"You said nine minutes. Come on."

"Both of you, relax." a few keystrokes later, she's in. "Got it."

Steve leans in at the location that popped up on screen. "Do you know this place?" I question when I see his brows furrow in recognition.

"I use to." he grabs the drive and we head for the exit, spotting SHIELD agents and the STRIKE team right away.

We walk in long strides but at an even pace. Running right now will only blow what little cover and advantage we have. "Standard tact team. Two behind, two across. And two coming straight at us."

"We can't get into a shoot out with them here." I know I can give them enough cover to escape. But the risk of innocents getting hit in the crossfire is high. "I'm open to suggestions."

"If they make us, I'll engage while you two make for the south escalator to the metro." Steve volunteers.

"Not a good plan. You have the drive. I can give you two the cover you need to get out."

"Will both of you shut up, put your arms around each other and laugh at something I said." Natasha swipes a magazine off a stand and films it open right at I am about to question what she was doing. I jump slightly when I feel Steve wrap his arm around my shoulder, while my own goes around his waist again. Romanoff starts laughing at something and Steve and I join in, keeping out heads down and on what was on the colorful pages.

I recognize one of the STRIKE agents I threw against the elevator wall, the cut above his eye promoting the work I did to him shows right as he passes us. I can feels his eyes gaze back towards the three of us, but he doesn't pursue. "Holy shit, I can't believe that worked." I remark.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Romanoff steps on to the downward escalator a few people ahead of Steve and I. Rumlow is coming up on our left, scanning each face he passes. We're screwed.

"Kiss me." I say, turning towards the soldier. Shock covers his face at my sudden request.

"What?" he asks stunned.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable."

"Yes they do."

I lean in fast, gently pressing my lips against his, cupping his head with my hand. After a few seconds, I back up, and turn around. There's a strange feeling in my chest, one I've never felt before as I realize what I just did. I clear my throat and ask, "You still uncomfortable?"

"That's not exactly the word I would use."

* * *

New Jersey. That's where we're headed. After we evaded SHIELD, we stole a car and began the journey. Steve drove and Natasha took the seat beside him. Thankfully he chose a large pickup truck because I'm stuck in the back.

They go back and forth but I pay no attention. The trees go by in a green blur and any cars we pass go by in a flash. These last few hours have worn me down. I'm tired or running, something I'd think I'd be used to. Except I'm not. I couldn't live on the run forever.

I notice a pen on the floor, covered partly by a store receipt. Tilting my head to the side as I focus, I motion with my finger, picking up the item and twirling it around in a white hue. Almost instantly a copper taste fills my mouth, my concentration breaking when Natasha mentions my name.

"Was that really your first kiss since 1945?" she asks with a hint of amusement. "I mean, I watched you and Kate, and I just have to know."

Steve chuckles, "That bad huh?"

"I didn't say that? I'm sure that wasn't Kate's first kiss since, whenever, but still."

I sink lower into the seat, "Couldn't we talk about something else?"

"Now, don't be shy, Kate. You seem like a woman who's had plenty of experience in this area that Steve lacks."

"Natasha-" I warn.

"I'm just saying that everyone needs practice."

"I don't need practice," Steve interjects. "And that was not my first kiss since 1945. I'm 95, I'm not dead."

Romanoff pauses for a second, adding, "Nobody special, though?"

I ponder those words. Did he have someone special? Someone he could be Steve Rogers around, not Captain America? Was that something I could have myself? I soft snap brings me from my wondering thoughts, my eyes scanning the cap for the source before landing on the pen now laying in three pieces on the floor.

"Believe it or not, it's kinda hard to find someone with shared life experiences."

"Huh, that's not so bad. Just make something up."

"What, like you two?"

Leaning my head against the cool window, I close my eyes. "I don't know. Maybe. Sometimes, it's good to be something different." I reply, even if I didn't believe that myself.

"That's a tough way to live."

Yeah. It is.

"It's a good way not to die, though." Natasha adds.

"You know, it's kinda hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone really is."

"Yeah." Romanoff says. "who do you want me to be?"

"How bout a friend?"

"Well, there's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers."

I open my eyes when the truck rolls to a stop. Sitting up, I peer out the window and see that we've arrived at what appears to be an old military base. I get out, following Rogers and Romanoff to the front gates.

"This is it?" I question as I look everything over.

Natasha looks up from her device. "The file came from these coordinates."

"So did I."

Steve is staring at an old side the reads, "Camp Lehigh. US Army Restricted Area."

So, this is where Captain America was born? I wonder what other secrets this base is hiding.

* * *

"You find anything?"

"Nothing." I slow to a stop near Steve and Natasha. "Just an old military base."

"This isn't just an old base; this camp is where I was trained."

"Change much?"

"A little." Steve stops and stares at an old flag pole. I can imagine a flag waving in the wind as the soldier trained nearby. Memories of my own training come to mind, a time I know was different than others.

"Guys, this is a dead end. No heat signatures, no waves, no radio. Whoever wrote the file must've used a route to throw people off." says Romanoff.

I look around the darkness, "So where does that leave us?" Steve is staring at something behind me. "what is it?"

"Army regulations forbid storing munitions within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the place."

After cracking the lock, we walk down into a basement like area and wait for Natasha to find the lights. Once those were on, we saw what the place actually was.

"This is SHIELD," I say in awe. Old desks, covered in years worth of dust, sit in front of an older version of the agency's logo.

"Maybe where it started."

We continue on, eventually coming to an file office. When we walk in, we see photographs hanging neatly on the wall. I don't know who any of the people are, but they must have been important in the beginning.

"There's Stark's father."

"Howard." Steve confirms. His face falls a little when he looks at the photo next to Howard Stark.

I ask, "Who's the girl?"

He doesn't reply.

I walk further in, looking for something that's out of place. First I hear wind, then I see a spider's web moving ever so slightly. I wonder...

"If you're already working in a secret office," I grab the shelf and grit my teeth as I push it aside. "why do you need to hide the elevator?"

Romanoff uses a device to figure out the code for the lift. We take it down to the last level, and when the doors its like we stepped back in time.

"What is this place?" I say about, though I don't expect an answer. A secret office beneath a secret office, beneath a secret agency on an army base. Nothing good can come from this. I just know it.

"This can't be the data point. This technology is ancient."

"Do we know how old that file really is?" I say. "We can't be sure. Not yet."

When things whirl to life, I turn around just as Natasha finishes typing on the keyboard. "Shall we play a game?" she smiles. "Its from a movie that was really-"

"I know, I've seen it."

I have no idea what they're referring to.

Slowly the computer screen comes to life, green lines forming a face. "Rogers, Steven. Born 1918." it says with a German accent. The camera mounted atop the computer turns towards Natasha. "Romanoff, Natalia Alianova. Born 1984."

Finally it turns towards me. I wait. It seems to be taking longer to read me than it did for Steve or Natasha. "Reynolds, Brooklyn. Born 1988."

_Brooklyn Reynolds._ I freeze, feeling the eyes of Steve and Natasha on me. That moment was the only thing I needed to be sure of who I was. I just hadn't realized that I need it until now.

"It must be some kind of recording." Natasha says slowly. "Why did it call you Brooklyn Reynolds?"

"I am not a recording. I am not nearly the man I once was when the captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am real."

Steve goes on to tell that Zola was a German scientist for the Red Skull. And that he's been dead for years. If that's so, then this shouldn't be happening.

"Then how is this possible?"

"First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive." Zola says. "In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on 200,000 feet of databanks. You are standing in my brain."

I walk in circles, still not understanding. "How did you get here?"

"Invited."

"It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists." the Russian says.

"They thought I could be of use to them, yes. To help their cause. But I also helped my own."

Steve says, "HYRDA died with the Red Skull."

Zola's screen turns to a logo that appears slightly familiar, but I can't place where I may've seen it.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

"No," I freeze. _Schneiden Sie einen Kopf, zwei mehr nimmt seinen Platz ab_. I heard that saying in German many times when I was younger, back when my translations weren't as good. It never made sense to me, not as a kid training to be a killer. But now I know.

I worked for HYDRA.

I killed for HYDRA.

HYDRA killed my father, and raised me as their own

HYDRA made me who I am.

And for that, they'll pay.

Zola continues to talk as an old video plays on his screen."HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize is that if you try to take that freedom, they resist.

"The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew, inside SHIELD, a beautiful parasite.

"For 70 years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed."

In the flash I pictures, I see the base where I was trained. A photo of Scott Reynolds, next to one of five year old Brooklyn Reynolds. Five year old me. I don't know how this is even possible.

"SHIELD would've stopped you, before any of this happened."

"Accident will happen."

More of my kill missions go by in a blur, a news article of the death of Tony's father, Howard, follow. "HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom, to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise.

"We won, Captain." says Zola. "Your death amounts to the same as your life. A zero sum."

Steve punches the screen, glass shatters under the force.

"As I was saying,"

"What's on this drive?" I demand. "Why is it so important?"

"Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm."

"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?"

"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."

Suddenly, the doors we came in slide closed, trapping us in this hole. "Guys, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic, 60 seconds tops."

"Who fired it?" he asks. I already know the answer.

"SHIELD."

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it. It is better this way. We are both of us, out of time."

"Wait!" I say. Romanoff grabs my arm, but I jerk away. "What you said earlier, about me. How do you know that?"

"Kate! Kate, come on!" I hear their voices, but I ignore them. I have to know.

"Your father was a great man, who was on to even greater things." the Swiss starts, pulling up more images on the screen. "It was a great lost to HYDRA's cause when his time was up, we believed his works were gone. Then, we realized his greatest creation wasn't what we thought at all, no no no."

"Kate!"

I know my time is nearly up but I can't pull myself away until I hear what Zola has to say. "Tell me! What was it? Why did you kill my father? WHY?!"

"Scott Reynolds's greatest creation," Zola says. "was you."

* * *

The ground rumbles as the missile strikes. I jump into the hole with Steve and Natasha, just as a blast of fire chases me. The heat is strong and nips at my back.

The last thing I see is a soft white glow, then, nothing.

**A lot of information and realizations in this chapter. But remember, this is only the beginning.**


	22. Winter Soldier Part 5

Chapter 22 - Winter Soldier Part 5

He walked through the hall of his home, having just ended his call with those back at SHIELD. The asset had been called in to finished the job. Once Alexander Pierce secured his home, he poured a glass of milk and sat down with the asset.

"The timetable has moved. Out window is limited. Three targets, level six. One of which you've encountered before." he tells the asset. "They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death of two in ten hours. The third is to be brought to me, alive. Understood?"

Even though he remained motionless, the asset understood his mission. That woman got the best of him when they first met. That won't happen again.

* * *

_My father's greatest creation... was me?_

Everything I knew, everything I _thought_ I knew, all changed within seconds. The events that followed the explosion by SHIELD was a blur, mixed with the flames and smoke and debris.

I remember jumping into the hole after Rogers and Romanoff, the sound of the missile. Natasha was knocked unconscious in the mist of it all, Steve did his best to protect her from the brunt of it. I did all I could to protect them both.

I know we somehow escaped. We stole a car and headed back to DC. Steve said he knew a place that'd be safe for us. At this point, it was all I could do to put my entire trust in him.

Its morning when he knocks on the back door of a home. I'm surprised to see a man in jogging gear. He greets us with a confused look on his face. I guess we look a bit rough around the edges.

"Hey man." he greets.

"I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low." says Steve.

Natasha adds, "Everyone we know is trying to kill us."

This man seems to understand. "Not everyone." he steps aside, allowing us to enter his home. I watch as he looks behind us one more time before shutting the door and drawing the blinds.

I sit in the absentmindedly listening to the man who introduced himself as Sam Wilson cook breakfast. My arms are folded around my waist. Even after I cleaned up, I still felt dirty knowing the truth. Everything Zola told me, about me past, it was a lot to take in.

Soon Natasha and Steve enter the room, Romanoff leaning near me. "Hey," she says. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I reply automatically, when I know I'm not. Emotions are something that I've learned to keep in check. But somehow she reads me. I can see on her face she wants to asks the questions, but thankfully doesn't press the issue. "We should talk about what happened."

"Agreed. Who has the authority to launch a domestic missile strike?"

"Pierce."

"And who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world?"

"We know he's not working alone." I use my fork to push the eggs Sam cooked around the plate. "Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star."

"So was Jasper Sitwell."

Now it starts to come together. I take a bite of food as Steve and Natasha go back and forth. Sitwell has the answers, but there's only one problem as to how we acquire them. "Question. How do the three most wanted people in the world kidnap a SHIELD agent in broad daylight?"

"The answer is, you don't." Sam walks by me and slides a folder across the table. "Call it a resume."

The file is of a Pararescue mission that Wilson and another man named Riley were apart of. The mission was completed, but Riley was lost.

"I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason." Steve looks up from the folder.

"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in."

I can see the willingness in his eyes. Frankly, we could use all the help we could get. "So, where can we get our hands on one of these?" I ask.

"The last one it at Fort Medae. Behind three guarded gates and 12 inches of steel." I smile at the way he says it. Like its gonna be hard or something. Glancing at Natasha, then to Steve, I say towards Sam, "Shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

When Sitwell arrives on the roof, a fury burns in me. I stand facing him as Steve and Natasha walk behind him. I flex my fingers, aching to get started. Instead, I'll wait until the other two are finished before I take a crack at him.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm."

"Never heard of it."

"Why were you on the Lemurian Star?"

"I was throwing up. I get seasick."

They're pushing Sitwell my direction, causing him to bump into me. When he turns around and sees my face, he freezes. I greet him with a smile. "Agent Sitwell."

"Is this little show an insinuation that you're going to throw me off the roof?" Sitwell asks as Rogers grabs fistfulls of his jacket, pushing him closer to the edge. "Because its really not your style, Rogers."

"You're right. Its not. Its hers."

With a gleeful smile, I kick the HYDRA agent off the roof, his screams getting further and further as he defends. Too bad we can't end it right here.

"What are the chances that Wilson miss calculates his timing?" I ask hopefully. I know the information Sitwell has is important, but I don't want anything more than to see him dead.

"Kate-"

"_Don't! _Do not call me that." I snap at Steve, the words coming off my lips like a freshly made sword. I can tell I surprised him. Thankfully, for his sake, Wilson arrives with the package in tow, tossing him none too gently back onto the roof.

I get to him first, stooping down to his level. "Now, about that algorithm."

Sitwell holds up his hands, breathless. "Zola's algorithm is a program for choosing Insights targets."

"What targets?"

"You. Rogers. The Under Secretary of Defense, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone whose a threat to HYDRA. Now or in the future."

Steve cuts off my next question. "In the future? How could it know that?"

When Jasper Sitwell starts laughing, I grab him by the tie and pull him upward. "The-the 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. Anything and everything can and was used to gain knowledge. Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past, to predict their future."

"What then?"

"Oh my god, Peirce is gonna kill me."

"You need to worry about what I'm going to do to you." I whisper the words as I get closer to his face. "What. Then?"

"Then Project Insight starts scratching people off the list. A few million at a time."

* * *

I'm leading the charge back to DC on a motorcycle, the others are following me in Sam's sedan. The helmet keeps the noise of the wind at bay, allowing me to focus more on their conversation.

The plan is to use Sitwell to get pass the the DNA scans and access the Hellicarriers directly.

If all goes well, HYDRA won't know what hit them.

Out of nowhere, I hear the sound of glass breaking. Looking over my shoulder, I see Sitwell being thrown into the grill of a semi followed by the Winter Soldier firing into the cab. Natasha skillfully jumps into the front and pushes Steve and Sam out of the way before returning fire herself.

Stopping the bike, I turn around right as the car in thrown into park. The Soldier is sent flying off of the roof, landing right in front of me. His metal hands claws the concert ground, slowing his speed. He stand in the road, in between Sam, Steve, Natasha and I.

"Behind you!" I yell, but too late. A second later, their rammed from behind, sending them forward and towards the Soldier. I jump off the bike, and use my gun and fire at him, but my bullets do not come close to harming him.

The car continues to speed out of control. I brace myself and put up a shield, hoping to contain any damage before it happens. Less than 100 feet away they fly out of the cab before the car hits my shield. The force of it sends me flying back into a wall, leaving me breathless.

"Natasha!" I see her running for the edge, Steve staying behind as a grenade is shot. His shield takes the brunt of the blow, but he is sent backwards and out of sight. "Steve!" I don't have a visual on Wilson, and for a second, I'm worried.

That worry quickly leaves the Winter Soldier appears in front of me, weapon aimed at my chest.

I put up a shield right as he fires, then follow up with a straightforward blow of my power. He is pushed back then charges again. I cross my arms over my head as he strikes down, and use his strength against him while knocking him back into the car. We trade blows, matching strike for strike.

He's stronger than when I last fought him. He blocks my punches and kicks with ease; like he's studied me. I get the upper hand once and kick him backwards with a yell, gasping for air.

He recovers fast, rolling into a squat as he removed his sidearm. He fires off five rounds right as I dive for cover.

The bullet cuts through my thigh, I curse myself for not using a shield again, even knowing the risk. I scream, crumbling to the ground before I manage to scramble behind an overturned truck. I lean back, the metal is cool against my burning skin. I grit my teeth together, fight to catch my breath, and wait.

"Захватите это одно, тогда пойдите после его." I hear him in Russian. "Другое одно мое."

So, he has orders to take me alive? I wonder why that is just as a rain of bullets strike the truck full force, far too many to come from the Soldier. He already gone after the others, leaving his backup to finish the job.

I look at my hands, the white glowing hue is more evident now. Blood flows freely from my leg and I know that the use of my powers has weakened my healing abilities. Banner's warning repeats in my head. But that's not important. Not now. I can't stay here. The Soldier is going after Steve and Natasha. They don't stand a chance.

_Think, think._

Seeing a pile of glass off to my left, I get an idea. The bullets stop momentarily, the sound of footsteps approaching replace it. The men don't speak, the way they step, carefully and cautiously, tell me that they're still on high alert. That shot to my leg wasn't a kill shot. They need me.

Focusing on the glass is hard. I levitate it until it is mere inches off the ground, wait for them to round the corner, then let it fly. They scream as the glass cuts deep into their skin, slicing through veins, until the screams die away and they fall to the ground.

I painfully pull myself to my feet, keeping my weight off my right leg, and peer over the edge of the overpass. I see Natasha taking cover behind a vehicle, holding her shoulder, and Steve fighting the Soldier. He seems to be holding his own. Hopefully he can just a little while longer while I get Romanoff out.

Getting down to the ground as quickly as I could, I begin to make my way towards Romanoff. She's reaching for a grenade launcher, but I'm already shaking my head. "You need to get out of here. SHIELD, HYDRA, you know they're coming."

"No," is all she says. Trying to stop her would be fruitless, so I stay behind to help in any way I could.

I look up right as Steve flips the Winter Soldier over his shoulder, his mask coming off in the process. To my horror, Rogers doesn't attack. Instead, he stares at the man without the mask, recognition in his eyes.

"Bucky?" Steve gasps.

The Soldier takes another step, "Who the hell is Bucky?"

Suddenly, Natasha launches the grenade at the same time the Soldier draws his weapon and aims at Steve. I react and surround Rogers with a shield right as Wilson flies in a knocks the Soldier to the ground. In the mess of it all, he makes his escape. And SHIELD surrounds us.

"Drop the shield, Captain! Get on your knees!"

"Get on the ground! Do it now!"

I spin around, my mind racing. I raise my hands slowly, but don't comply to their orders. I'm not going to run. I've done that for far too long. These men are, in one way or another, responsible for what I've become.

No. They want a fight. I'll give them a fight.

"Get on the ground, Lynn! Don't make me tell you again." orders Rumlow. He's standing by Rogers, cuffing him.

I keep my hands up, my senses sharp and abilities waiting to be released. I want them to know what I can do. Its time the world knows what I can do. A helicopter flies overhead, capturing the entire thing.

No more hiding, pretending that I don't exist. They need to pay. And I will make them.

"Kate," I hear Natasha say. I don't respond. She doesn't understand. "_Brooklyn_," My hand is raised outward, but I stop short of releasing a blast. Through a waterfall of hair, I see a wounded Romanoff being led off. She shakes her head but it is her eyes that speak volumes.

_Don't make a mistake you can't come back from._

Maybe she does understand.

Kate was the killer HYDRA made. However, Brooklyn, was just an innocent girl taken from her family. A causality of war.

I lower my hands and get on my knees, gritting my teeth as pain shoots through my wounded leg. I don't fight the cuffs that are placed around my wrists. Or as I'm led to a waiting transport vehicle.

Kate Lynn no longer exists. Brooklyn Reynolds can still be saved.

* * *

"It was him. He looked right at me like he didn't eve know me."

"How is that even possible? It was, like, 70 years ago."

"Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43. Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must've found him..."

"None of that's your fault, Steve."

I hear the words in a jumbled mess, like they're speaking and I'm underwater. I sit tense in the seat next to Rogers, the thick metal cuffs holding me tightly around my waist, arms and legs. When Rumlow locked me in and began the transport, a strong bolt of electricity jolted through me. I can still see the smile on his face. He said it was a failsafe of sorts to prevent someone like me from escaping.

I don't think I could escape even if my wanted too.

I'm tried of running and I have no fight left in me. The battle on the highway took a lot out of me. I really don't know how much longer I'm going to fight the inevitable. How much longer I can fight it.

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky."

Things become more clear when I hear Steve mention Bucky again, then Sam say something about a doctor. Lifting my head slightly, I see the blood seeping from Natasha's shoulder wound. Between the two of us, the copper smell is strong. I can taste it.

Wilson glances at me with a sorrowful look on his face when he sees my own wound. On the plus side, the Soldier, Bucky as Steve keeps calling him, is a good shot as it isn't life threatening.

The bad news? I'll probably bleed out before they can question me.

When one of the guards attacks the other, knocking them out cold, confusion takes hold. The blood loss must me taking an effect on my brain because when the helmet is removed, I see Agent Hill's face.

"That thing was squeezing my brain." she looks at me, to Steve, to Natasha, then Sam and says, "Who is this guy?"

* * *

Translations from Russian to English.

Захватите это одно, тогда пойдите после его. "You will take this one, then go after him."

Другое одно мое. "The other one is mine."

* * *

**Here is chapter 22. Hope it was worth the wait.**

**I also hope to have this finished before Age of Ultron is released on Blu-ray/Didigal download/DVD so I can get a jump on that but with RL, that might not happen.**

**So, Kate Lynn is no more. My OC has finally realized that she is in fact Brooklyn Reynolds. That's very exciting and a big milestone for this story. I'm excited for the end of The Winter Soldier section to be nearing the end because of all I have planned for Brooklyn.**

**Leave a review and let me know your thoughts!**


	23. Winter Soldier Part 6

Chapter 23 - Winter Soldier Part 6

We're all silent as Agent Hill leads us into... hell, I don't even know. Sam and Natasha walk ahead of Steve and I, who, at some point, became my crutch. I couldn't put weight on my leg and the outflow of blood had yet to slow. It was taking all I had to not pass out.

"Two GSWs; Agent Romanoff has loss at least a pint and Lynn close to two." says Hill as another agent runs up to meet us.

"Let me take her."

"They'll want to see him first."

I stumble, causing Steve to glance at me with a look of worry as he tightened his grip around my waist. The agent gets closer and eyes my wound. "She can't wait. The bullet barely nicked the artery, and the time passed means she's still lost a lot of blood. She should be dead. And if this goes untreated any longer than this, she will be."

"Okay." Hill motions for two guards to take either side of me, leading me away in the opposite direction of the others.

I didn't have the strength of fight or object. My eyesight dims with each step. And I realized that all I can do is wait.

* * *

When I come to, I see someone hovering off to the side. My vision takes a few seconds to clear. Its when it does that I notice Steve, standing over by the door. I'm laying on my back, my leg propped up on a couple of pillows. Beneath the thin pair of pants I wore, I could feel the thick of the bandage, I could smell the blood. But most of all, I could feel the uneasiness pouring off of Rogers as he watched me. His face was hard, unreadable. His blue eyes blank.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he finally breaks the silence with the one question I did not want to answer. Funny how me catches me when I can't run away.

"You wouldn't understand,"

"I'll be the judge of that." he steps closer to my bedside, folding his arms across his chest. "Just tell me why,"

I lay there, thinking of how I want to explain everything to him. I knew this wouldn't be an easy thing to be and I feared that he just wouldn't understand. I figured that he would turn his back on me once he realized that, in a way, it was his fault that I'm like this.

"HYDRA worked so hard in trying to recreate the serum that made Captain America. I was the only person to survive their trials. For years I was their puppet, serving them, believing that I was making the world a better place. Then something happened, opened my eyes. I couldn't be their killer anymore, so I fled and worked on finding the truth about who I really was. Even now, I'm not sure what I believe."

I work to sit up in bed, but stop when the pain becomes too much. "I've worked hard to keep what I can do a secret. I promised myself that I would take it to my grave; that I wouldn't let anyone take advantage of me or my powers again. Then SHIELD found me, made me promises, just like those at HYDRA did all those years ago-" I shake my head.

"Kate-" starts Rogers, but I cut him off.

"My name is Brooklyn Reynolds." I all but yell at him, anger raising up in me. "You know I blamed you for what I am? I kept telling myself that because of you, I have these powers, that it was because of you why all of those people are dead. I blamed you every time I used my powers, or when ever I saw how great people think you are."

I look in to his eyes. I don't know why, but talking to him, explaining it all, was the easiest thing I've done in a long time. "But then I got to know the man behind the shield, and realized that you weren't to blame. Now my name is all I'm sure of."

"Brooklyn, I'm not going to lie to you and say that I know what its like. Because I don't." he says. "But I need your help. To stop HYDRA, SHIELD, to save Bucky." he doesn't add anything. He doesn't need to. "I know this won't be easy for you,"

I'm sure he may think that, but even with all that he now knows about me, it still isn't very much.

"The Winter Soldier was the one who replaced me after I escaped. He was sent to kill me because HYDRA still saw me as a threat to their plans. Our paths have crossed more than once; if the time comes, I can hold my own.

"I didn't have anyone to help me, I had to find the right path on my own. But I know what he's going through and I will do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't go through the same thing."

The smile that crosses Steve Rogers face is enough to warm the room. I return it and it actually feels sincere, like I meant it. He quickly brings me up to speed on what he and the others talked about. The plan itself is simple enough, but I know that simple will not be the case this time around.

"Fury and Romanoff are going to take on Pierce, while Sam and I focus on the Hellicarriers. Hill said that the Charlie carrier will take longer to override because of some device they built into the mainframe to prevent modifications." he tells me. "I'll do that one last. You can monitor everything with Hill from the Triskelion."

"No way." I quickly object. "Those carriers will be crawling with HYDRA agents; we need to get those disks in as quickly as possible. That one will be hard to get to for sure. We have one shot at doing this right." I swing my legs over the side of the bed, stifling a wince as I did so. "I'll do it. I'll help you and Wilson."

"I can't ask you to do that,"

"It's a good thing you didn't ask." I stand to my feet, a little shaky at first but firm enough to hold my ground on my own. I take a deep breath, raise my hand, and form a small white ball of energy. I know the risks I take going forward. If Rogers knew I that I was dying, he certainly would try to stop me. But I have to do this. If not only for myself, but to help another person who has gone through the same things I went through.

Steve watches the fading spark in my hand. He isn't afraid of me or my powers. And that is nice to know.

"Gear up."

"Knock, knock." the red hair of Natasha breaks the threshold of the door way, a small smile on her face. "I brought your things, Kate."

"I'm actually going by Brooklyn, now. It just feels right, you know?" She nods, but I don't think she does. In her arms are a pair of black pants, a long sleeve shirt and boots. Its a small step below my normal battle gear, but it'll do the job all the same.

"Thank you," I say while taking the items and setting them on the bed. "For everything."

"You don't need to-"

I hold up my hand. "Yes, I do. Back on the Mall, it wasn't right for me to ask something that big of you. I was taking advantage of you, like so many people did to me. And I'm sorry."

"You don't need say your sorry, Brooklyn. Your strong, you've survived much more than this. You can beat this." her words are meant to comfort me, but I've made up my mind.

"I can't have you do this, Natasha. I don't want you to live with my blood on your hands." I look her in her eyes, reading her expressions. "After the disks are in place, and Hill is ready to target them, I won't be coming down from that hellicarrier. I hope you understand."

She holds her feelings in like the spy I know her to be. What surprises me is that she pulls me into a warm hug. I don't object. "Thank you, Natasha. Truly,"

Without another word, she leaves me to get ready for my final mission. As I watch her go, I think back to our meeting on the Mall, when I asked such a big thing of her.

_"My abilities are growing. I don't have much control over them like I use to. If push comes to shove, here's what I need you to do. __I don't know how much longer I can keep myself in check. If it becomes too much, if innocent people are in danger because of what I am... I'll need you to kill me."_

_"What? You can't be serious,"_

_"I am. Look, Natasha, Banner knows this is getting out of control. He knows what its like to have all this power, but still feel powerless. Even though this is killing me regardless, he wouldn't agree to it. I can't ask Stark because he'll only want to study me further, Thor is in another universe, Barton and I aren't exactly on speaking terms, and Rogers would try to take me out of it._

_"You are the only one I can trust with this. Please, Natasha."_

_"Okay. I can do that. You have my word."_

Thank you, Natasha. But I don't need you anymore.


	24. Winter Soldier Part 7

**Here is the latest installment of my story "Clandestine". I hope you liked it. :)**

**I saw "Civil War" opening night and it reignited the fire I have to write this story. University is out for a month, then I return for summer classes and I'm also job hunting, but now that I have that drive to continue this journey, I will be working on more chapters.**

**This is nearing the end of "The Winter Soldier" storyline, and I will be easing into the AoU-verse shortly.**

**Buckle up!**

* * *

Chapter 24 - Winter Soldier Part 7

I follow Agent Hill, Wilson and Rogers through the woods, towards the Triskelion. My tact gear feels heavy in my weakened condition, the weight of the disk even more so. My leg is holding up well enough all things considered. Even as we get closer to our destination, I find myself at ease.

I know what it will take from me, physically and mentally, in this battle. And I have accepted the fact that I might not make it out alive. For so long I've worried about doing all I could to survive, only to find that doing so would only lead me to the end. And I'm okay with that.

The objective was clear. Stop the helicarriers from launching, effectively taking down HYDRA and SHIELD.

Making our way inside, I create a diversion that will allow us access to the main PA system.

The guard opens the door, shock on his face from seeing us there in the hall. "Excuse us." Rogers politely says with a smirk.

I work the screens and intercoms, quickly gaining the access I needed that would allow Steve to say what needed to be said. When I was done, I gave him a confirming nod.

"Attention all SHEILD agents, this is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I do that that they are in the building. They could be sitting next to you. They almost have what they want. Absolute control. They shot Nick Fury. And it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet that I'm not."

"Did you write that down first, or was that off the top of your head?"

I shake my head at Sam's comment with a small laugh. I check my sidearms and test my leg. There is not going back now. "Let's go,"

Leading the way to the outside launch deck, Sam and Steve on my heels, Wilson asks, "So, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?"

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad."

"Simple enough," I mutter. The edge of the pad it close by. Sam activates his wings, taking off for the carriers. Rogers and I jump at the same time, landing with a hard roll and raced forward on our own. We're greeted with a hail of bullets. Splitting up, I head in the opposite direction, stoping those who came towards me.

_"Brooklyn, do you copy?"_ asks Hill though my comm.

"Uh, yeah!" I yell back. I send a blast of energy at the men who were lined up in front of me. They're thrown back into a stack of crates and I run past their bodies. "Yeah, I'm listening,"

_"Once you get to the Charlie carrier, you need to shut down the drive before you can rewrite the program that will accept the disk."_ Agent Hill informs me. _"Then you'll only have three minutes to complete the process before it locks you out."_

"Copy that," My leg is burning, I can feel fresh blood seeping into my pants as I run. Pushing through it, I reach a jet. SHIELD pilots are running around me as I start the aircraft and take off, seconds before a quinjet is blown out of the air. Through the flames and smoke, I see the Winter Soldier, as he cuts down the men with ease. Bucky is nowhere to be found; only the assassin remains.

Our eyes meet for a moment before I turn away and fly towards the Charlie carrier. He'll be on me within minutes, maybe less, but I have to get to the station before he can stop me.

"Rogers?"

_"Brooklyn? Are you okay?"_

"I'm en route to the carrier now. But I have company," there is no need to tell him who it is.

_"Sam and I are heading your way," _he says. _"Just worry about the disk."_

Within a minute I land the jet and climb out onto the tarmac, scanning the area for unfriendlies, and any other threats. The hellicarrier is a massive thing to behold but since I know where I'm going, it doesn't take long for me to find the door that will lead me to the main bridge. I hadn't gotten far before I'm welcomed with bullets dancing at my feet, sparking the ground. Taking cover behind whatever I could find, I wait until it dies down to peer over the wall of crates.

There, I see eight men, heavily armed, taking positions to surround me. In the howling wind, still off in the distance, I hear the aircraft that is carrying Bucky closer to me. Removing my guns, I fire at the guards until they click empty. I change out the mags and fire again, but I only take out two guards. "Dammit!" I toss the now useless weapons aside. There are too many and they are gaining ground fast. I don't have time to fight them all.

I know the quickest way through the men is the one way that will drain my energy. But I have no other choice.

I step from behind the crates. The bullets start raining. Taking a deep breath, I send the strongest blast of white energy at the HYDRA soldiers. My hair whips in front of my face and the ground around me shakes, cracks form in the flight deck, the planes crumbled. With one last yell, the soldiers are no longer a problem. I fall to one knee, gasping for air.

"I'm in." I tell Agent Hill as I gather myself, entering the main area and slowly cross the catwalk. I scan my surroundings as I make my way towards the centre controls, arm up and ready to defend myself, a white mist dancing around my hand.

_"Okay, you're going to have to rewrite the end of the program; the one over the Charlie hellicarrier." _she gives me the directions again. _"First restart the system. Once that is finished, you'll need to enter the code into the side access panel."_

I reach the other side of the catwalk without any signs of trouble. But that uneasy feeling in my gut tells me not to let my guard down. Not yet.

I extinguish my ability and open the panel. A screen no bigger than a tablet appears baring the SHIELD logo. Once the program has rebooted the system, I begin to type in the twelve digit code, looking over my shoulder in between keystrokes. It won't be long before he comes.

"All right. I've got the blueprints for all three hellicarriers pulled up."

_"Select the Charlie carrier and look for a file that says-"_

Sensing movement behind me, I spin around and bring up a force field. I know I took out all of HYDRA's guards and I wasn't surprised to see the metal arm of the Winter Soldier inches from my face. Recovering fast, I let a wave of energy shoot out from my body, effectly sending the assassin flying back across the catwalk.

"He's here." I say to no one in particular. "He is aboard the Charlie carrier."

_"What?"_ Rogers voice is strained, I can hear the wind whipping into the comms as he speaks. _"Where are you?"_

"I'm in front of the main board; I haven't completed the rewrite!"

I hear him grit his teeth before he replies, _"Do not engage! I'm heading your way now."_

The Winter Soldier covers ground quickly. He laches out with his metal arm again, connecting with my side, sending me back into the machine. I duck under his next strike, rolling away from a blow that was meant for my head. "He's making it very hard for me not to!"

We trade attacks and counter attacks. Our movements match each others and it doesn't seem like either of us is gaining the upper hand. Suddenly, he trips me, sending me back into the railing and knocking the air out of my lungs.

He doesn't speak, but his empty eyes tell me everything I need to know. I throw myself over the railing before he can put another bullet in my body, catching myself in midair underneath the catwalk. With speed I didn't know I had, I come up behind him and send a blast of energy into his back. He crumbles to the ground as I land in front of the machine once more.

"Hill, I've selected the file," I frantically say to the agent. "T-minus three minutes starts now." I hit ENTER and the timer begins.

_"Okay, just hold him off long enough so you can put the disk in."_

"Why do you make that sound easy?" I ready my stance as he pulls himself to his feet. I recognize the pain in the back of my head, the blurring vision, as sign that I can't take much more of this.

With lightning quick speed he grips my neck in his hands, squeezing tight. I can hear the mechanical whirl of his gears turn as the cold fingers close into a fist. Thinking is hard as oxygen leaves my brain, but I am able to bring my hand up under his head, which snaps back hard. He drops me and I scramble out of reach, trying to catch my breath.

All I need is a few moments to clear my sight. When I see him getting to his feet as well all while I'm running straight for him. I don't give the soldier time to recover. With a yell, I bring my knee up into his head with a rage that I have tried to keep buried.

I rain blows on the soldier, pushing him back across the catwalk, he buckles slightly but keeps his ground. Wrapping his arms around my waist, we tumble to the grated floor in a tangled mess. The soldier draws a weapon but I send it flying over the railing without a second thought. Quickly, I manage to remove my bowie from my thigh holster and go for his leg hoping that it would be enough to get him off of me.

_Don't kill him! _I say this over and over in my head, hoping to convince myself of my defensive actions. I make a swipe at his left thigh, slower than my normal speed because I only wanted to injure the soldier. I thought it would be enough.

What I didn't expect was for the Winter Soldier to stop the blade with his silver hand. He twists the blade from my hand, then pins me to the ground.

_"twenty seconds,"_

I clench my teeth. Breathing hard, I release a blast of energy that shakes the entire helicarrier, white light shooting out from my being in every direction. I use the railing as my anchor as soon as I realized that the soldier was no longer on top of me. I don't see him anywhere and I'm running out of time.

_"Brooklyn-"_

I follow the remaining steps that Agent Hill told me, effectively completing the rewrite in seconds. "It's done! The rewrite is done!" I fumble with the strap that held the disk in my pocket, my hand is shaking violently from everything that has and is happening. I had just grasped the disk my my hand when I felt him come up behind me again.

I know that Rogers wants to save this man, to save his friend. I can only imangine what it would be like if I were in his shoes, to care for someone that much. But the truth was that I didn't know how much longer I can do defend myself without causing much damage to the brainwashed soldier.

I put up my shield; I only need to hold him off for a little while longer. His eyes stare deep into mine as he presses harder against my force field, the white of it ripples under the pressure of his metal arm. Blood runs down my face and I grit my teeth, not yielding, not giving up.

I just have to hold on a little longer.

Just until Steve gets here...

But I'm so cold.

Colder than I have ever been.

I feel so numb.

My shield has fallen without my consent.

As confusion takes hold, my eyes fall down to my side where I see the hilt of my bowie embedded into my body. Copper fills my mouth and it becomes harder and harder to breathe. "B-Bucky?" the name leaves my mouth as the soldier sharply pulls the blade from my body before thrusting in once more, twisting and pushing until the hilt was buried deep into my side.

I crumble, no longer able to hold myself up. The disk slips from my hands. Blood covers me. A shaky breath passes my lips.

As my vision dances in front of me, teasing me, I see the unmistakeable image of Steve crossing the catwalk.

Then nothing.

* * *

"...hear me? C'mon, Brooklyn, wake up."

I hear my name but the world around me is black. Something touches my shoulder, right before a sharp pain shoots through my side. I gasp and arch my back in a fruitless effort to escape its hold.

"Brooklyn? Hey, hey, easy." it's Steve. My eyesight clears and I see his blood covered face hovering over my own. I feel his hand pressing against my side, trying to stop the ever flowing blood. "You need to get out of here. Fury and Romanoff are headed this way with a chopper and you can-"

I slowly shake me head. My hand searches for something to hold as I struggle to breathe. "I-I can't, Steve. I can't do this anymore."

I start to close close my eyes when I hear a scream off in the distance. The Hellicarrier explodes around us. This is the end.

My head lulls to the side. I look over the edge of the catwalk, I see the Soldier, Bucky, trapped beneath a beam. Steve sees it too and turns to me with a torn look on his face.

"Brook, I can help you to the flight deck-"

"Go," I interrupt him, my voice strained and ruff. We had a mission. To stop HYDRA and to save his friend. I did my part. He doesn't need me anymore. Not for this. "Go. I'll get to the deck myself." the lie comes too easy. I didn't want to lie to Steve but it was the only way I could get him to go save his friend while he still had time. "Please. It-it isn't too late for him. Give him the one thing...that I never had." my hand finds his face, I do all I can to urge him to go.

"Promise you'll get on that chopper?" his blue green bore into my own.

It took a lot to push him away.

I grit my teeth. "Go!"

A strange feeling comes over me as Rogers slowly climbs to his feet and jumps over the railing to help Bucky. I have never felt like this before, the emotion being so foreign I didn't know what it was.

Once I was on my own, I only ever wanted to make amends for my actions. I wanted to find myself, to do right. Though HYDRA made me this weapon, it was still me who did those horrible things. And no matter how hard I tried, I could never forget.

The life I lived, a lie, was never my own and yet I have had to live with all that I did.

I wish I were stronger.

I wish I could overcome this.

I wish I could have made my father proud of his little girl.

Metal creaking overhead draws my attention back to my surroundings. A large beam is seconds away from falling; I look down only to find Bucky pinning Rogers to the ground, his metal arm raised and ready to strike.

I pull myself to the railing, using the bars to get to my feet. The beam falls and I yell as I catch it in a white clouded hue. With everything I have, I move the beam away from the two men just as my power leaves me.

The ground beneath them shatters.

Steve falls towards the waters below.

Bucky, holding on with his metal arm, glances at me before he releases his grip.

I slowly fall to the ground, laying my head on the metal flooring, and close my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I'm so sorry."

TBC

* * *

**I have been on this website for a few years now and I've always wanted to write a story that got hundreds of likes/faves/reviews. I'm sure a lot of people have thought that before. But as I work on this story, as I build my character's relationships within the MCU, this story being one that I easily work on the most out of my FF experience, I realize that I shouldn't be writing to get the coveted reviews, but I should write it for myself.**

**So that is what I am going to do.**

**Leave a review with your thoughts if you wish. I'm writing _Clandestine_ because I want to; I'm writing it for me.**

**And if you like reading about Brooklyn and want to ride this out with me, then welcome.**


	25. Winter Soldier Part 8

**Hello all! I am back with another installment of _Clandestine_! Summer classes are currently underway so I haven't had a whole lot of time to spend on this story, however, I am posting t****oday because it marks a couple of special occasions.**

**First of all, Happy Birthday Chris Evans! Two years ago, in honor of this day, I posted the first chapter of _Clandestine_! (Happy Birthday Clandestine!) I didn't know how far I would ever get on this fic, but here I am 25 chapters in, with plenty of story left to tell.**

**A big thanks to those who have been here since the beginning, and to those who have joined the journey since. It really means a lot.**

**This chapter was pretty big for me to write, because of how I followed the events in the previous chapter ( :O! ). Before I get into AoU, I will be showing more of Natasha and Brooklyn's relationship, which you will see in this chapter, Brooklyn's transition into her new life and, maybe, introduce new abilities (I mean, she's been through a lot. She's not coming out of this unscarred in anyway, as you will see).**

**So, please enjoy.**

Chapter 25 - The Winter Soldier Part 8

"I'm sorry, Steve. But she never made it out." there was a pause, as if the Russian was giving him time to let the news set in. "They scoured the river, but the wreckage was too great. They searched for hours, but... There was no sign of her."

His shoulders slumped, all he could do was nod. Steve wasn't sure what he was hoping to hear about Brooklyn's fate-something told him that she wasn't coming back-but hearing Romanoff actually say the words was different. It wasn't right.

Brooklyn told him that she could get out on her own, Steve knew only part of her strength but he couldn't help the feeling that he should have stayed to make sure that she would be okay.

Even though she told him to help Bucky, he still felt guilty for leaving her behind.

"I got that file you wanted." Natasha hands over the only known document on the Winter Soldier, a blank look on her face. With a few more words, she bids the soldier goodbye with a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Be careful, Steve. You may not want to pull on that thread."

Agent Romanoff leaves Steve and Sam in the cemetery, heading for her car parked across the way. It had been a wild 24 hours and the only thing she wanted to do was disappear. But her job wasn't done yet.

She told Rogers that she was going to find a new cover, since she exposed all of the ones she created when she outed HYDRA. And that was the truth. Just not the whole truth.

What she was going to do was a secret to every one she knew. Well, all but one. Though she didn't want to think about that right now. She had little to work with, and no time to make the proper preparations, but she would manage. She had to.

Natasha made the drive from DC to a house in the Virginia woods in a few hours time, the sun had long set, her light beams making shadows in the tall trees. She had her eyes on this small house for some time now; it was never officially on her records so no one knew about it, which was perfect. Parking her car a mile away, she grabbed her bag from the trunk and footed it the rest of the way, hoping that the situation she left hadn't gotten any worse in her time gone.

It was dark and cold in the night as she set foot inside. She knew better than to start the fireplace, so she grabbed a couple of thick blankets that lay on the table and walked to the back bedroom. Romanoff walked silently on the wooden flooring, listening for anything that might be out of place. When she reached the small bedroom she sighed.

_Just where I left you. _she says to herself.

There, on the twin bed, covered with multiple blankets, different machines beeping and humming, lay the still and pale figure of Brooklyn Reynolds. Her hair was pushed to one side of her face, a strand laying across her closed eyes.

Cuts littered her black and blue face, some covered in bandages, others stitched. Thick gauze protected a wound on her neck, somehow making her look smaller than Natasha knew her to be. A tube that ran down her throat helped her to breath, the only thing that made her chest rise and fall. Brooklyn's arms and hands were neatly covered in bandages as well as they helped to hold the broken and bruised bones in place. She was hot to the touch so Nat took great care in redressing the wounds, careful to not hurt the woman anymore than she all ready was.

The bullet wound on her leg was bandaged and elevated, working hard to fight off infections. Contusions ran up and down Brooklyn's legs, evidence of the hellicarrier debris slamming into her body as she tumbled in the waters of the Potomac.

Finally, after bringing the covers up to her waist and rolling up the tank top, Natasha could see the extent of the damage that the Winter Soldier had inflicted on Brooklyn's torso. Slowly, Natasha began to check the most serious injury over.

An ugly knife wound danced on her right side, an even worse surgery scar, red at the edges, hot like fire. Brooklyn suffered serious damage to her liver and kidney, and part of her stomach where the blade pierced deep. Half an inch of the blade had broken off and was sitting behind her liver, slowing being carried up into her chest. Natasha wanted to remove it right away, but... she was talked out of it. The best choice was to make sure she would survive first. Broken ribs on her left side punctured Brooklyn's lung and Romanoff couldn't help but wonder if any of the wounds would ever heal.

Brooklyn Reynolds should have died on the hellicarrier. And if she didn't die on the hellicarrier, she should have Died upon impact with the water and debrie falling around her. And if she didn't die in the fall, she should have drowned after being pulled down to the river's bottom. And if she didn't drown, she should have bled out on the bank as Natasha fought to get her breath. And if, and if, and if... Natasha could play this game forever. Really, Romanoff figured that the reason Brooklyn wasn't dead is because of what ever was tied to the source of her abilities. However it worked, that had to be why. It was the only thing she could think of.

Well, that and Brooklyn Reynolds was a fighter. Too stubborn to die under such circumstances.

"Don't give up just yet, kid." the assassin's words are soft and still carry through the small room.

Once the wound was cleaned and redressed, Natasha checked each monitor, logged everything in a laptop and added the blankets to the unconscious woman. She didn't know what else to do, so she took the handgun from her waistband, held it in her hand, sat down in a nearby chair and slept for the first time in what felt like years.

* * *

_beep ... beep ... hmmmm ... beep ... beep ... hmmmm_

White. Everything, white.

When I open my eyes, that is all I see. It was blurry at first, but still unmistakable, what with its stark contrast surrounding me like a box. Just, white.

I push past the confusion and try to gather myself. My chest starts to tighten and I shoot upright in the small bed. Something pulls at my right side, I don't know what it is. To my left I see a small table, a cup and empty containers and vials on top. There are no windows. Just a single lamp and one door.

Wires are attached to me and in my hast, something falls over. Something is tickling in my nose and I claw and scrape until whatever it was comes out.

My breathing has picked up, but I don't stop.

I rip out needles and wires and tubes, tossing everything across the room. My brain is telling me to get out, but my body is slow to respond.

_What happened? How did they find me? How did they-_

In the distance I hear a door open, then close. I stop moving, and listen. Whoever, or whatever, it was has stopped. This is when I make my move.

I push myself upright, having to grit my teeth together to keep from screaming, and proceed to swing my legs over the side of the bed. The wood floor is cold under my bare feet, the air in the room brushing my exposed shoulders. The clothes I wear feel strange on my body. As I walk the floor seems to tilt and sway as I press forward, my legs weak for some reason. I cradle my right side with my left arm and continue towards the open door.

The hall is white, just like the room. I'm surprised at the lack of guards but don't dwell on that fact for long. I'm in no shape to take them down anyway.

Keeping my back close to the wall, I listen as I continue through the building. Peering around a corner, I see what looks like a makeshift kitchen. Thinking fast, I walk to it and search for anything I could use as a weapon, pleased at finding a small steak knife near a tin of water.

The sound of footsteps starts again, heading in the direction I came from. They stop, then turn around before coming right towards me. I grip the knife in my right hand, and when the person is right around the corner, I stick my foot out to trip them, wrench their arm behind their back and place they blade against their neck.

"Who are you? Where the hell am I?" I say the words with a sense of authority, but the truth was that I could hardly keep myself upright. I was in no position to make demands, though that wasn't going to stop me from trying. "What are you doing to me?!"

The person-the woman-was strangely calm in my grasp. She didn't flinch under the pressure of the knife. She just stood there. It was... unnerving.

"Take it easy, you are safe now." she says with her hands up. "You. Are. Safe. Just breathe."

"Answer me!" I press down harder, hard enough to hear the skin break. The smell of her blood reaches me within seconds. "Who are you!"

"I-my name is Natasha." says the woman. "I'm a friend."

_Natasha? Do I know her? I don't understand. _"Wh-what are you talking about? Where am I?"

Somehow she works her way out of my arms, takes the knife from my hand. I'm slumped against the wall, her warm hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, look are me. Look at me." I lift my head, but my sight is in and out of focus. "What's your name?"

_My name?_

_What is my name?_

"I... I-"

I couldn't find the strength to say I don't know.

And that scared me.

* * *

It was the sound of someone speaking that drew me from the depths of unconsciousness once more. A woman, I realize a few seconds later, was on the other side of the room, talking to herself. No, she had something in her hand, a small device.

_A device for talking? A... phone? Who is she talking to? Is she going to turn me in? Shit, my head..._

I groan, alerting her of my presence. I'm laying down, but the white walls aren't surrounding me like they were when I awoke last time. Instead, wood like panels that crisscross in a odd design, and a simple picture hang on a nail. One window, blinds drawn but still emitting a little of sunlight.

I go to sit up but two things stop me.

First, a blinding hot pain in my right side.

Second, the woman gently pushing me back onto the couch.

The world spins and I shut my eyes. My thoughts were all over the place, going from one thing to another in seconds. _This can't be happening. I was so careful, they shouldn't have found me. But why aren't we in a base? Something isn't right..._

"Here, drink this." the woman pushes a cup to my lips, her left arm helping me sit up enough to not choke on the unknown liquid. I resist at first, but it doesn't last for long and I give in.

"I need to ask you some questions, okay?" she waits until I manage a small nod. "Do you know who I am?"

_Shit_. Uh, didn't she tell me what her name was? It was, something I had heard before... "наташа," I furrow my brow, not understanding why I said the name in Russian. Trying again I say, "Natasha. You told me... your name was Natasha."

A sad smile crosses her face, but only for a moment. "That's right. What else do you remember?"

_What else? What kind of bloody question was that?_

Everything I did came flooding back to me, everything up until that snowy night in Russia. But everything after was... jumbled; I couldn't piece the images together. I see faces, but I don't know them, I see events but I can't place them. I can still hear voices, but I can't make out what is being said.

It is unknown to me how long I lay there and ponder over the ridiculous question. However, the more time passed, how this Natasha woman waited until I found something to say, I came to the awful realization that I couldn't remember much.

And what I do remember was something that I desperately wanted to forget. "What's going on?"

"You were involved in an... explosion." the way she says 'explosion' makes me think that is was something else entirely. "You suffered serious wounds; you need time to rest. This will help you sleep." she grabs a syringe and sticks it in my arm before I can protest. The drugs take hold of my system quickly, I find myself relaxing even though I still feel tense. "I will explain everything when the time comes."

"Wait... what's-" my eyes are heavy, closing without my consent. I have so many questions, I need answers. "what's my name?" I had to know. I had to know that it wasn't a dream, that what little I remembered after Russia was real.

The last thing I see is her smile as she tells me, "It's Brooklyn."

* * *

Two days passed before I wake again. Apparently I had the woman, Natasha, worried over those 48 hours. She said that an infection formed in a bullet wound in my leg and a fever broke out. I noted that people don't get bullet wounds in explosions, that I knew she was keeping something from me.

So, against what I assumed was her better judgement, she told me everything that happened.

A few hours later I sit on the couch with a bowl of broth in one hand and my medical file in the other. Natasha had to step out but hoped to be back before night fell. In her absence I decided to read the files Natasha had on me, hoping to find any missing pieces of myself.

"You're looking better,"

I jump at the sound of someone speaking behind me, this causing my broth to fall from my hand. Everything happened so fast that if I blinked, if I turned away for a moment, I would have missed it.

The bowl, falling to the floor, moments from shattering, froze mid air, surrounded by what looked like a white mist. Startled, I pushed myself back to the opposite end of the couch and the bowl was set gently on the ground, not a drop of broth spilled.

"Oh, yeah. You can do that, too."


	26. Four Months Later

Chapter 26 - Four Months Later

My name is Brooklyn Charlotte Reynolds.

I was born in in Brooklyn, New York.

My birthday is June 13, 1988.

And for the first time in my life, I know who I am.

* * *

I stand under the hot spray of water, letting it wash the dirt and blood from my sore body and down the drain. I have been training with Natasha, running mountains, swimming rivers, building my strength back up. Romanoff has been a big help. Sometimes when I would "walk down memory lane" with files she gave me in an effort to jog my memory of things after Russia but before the explosion, she would just sit by and wait to answer any questions I was bound to have.

But over the last month, it had become too much. I stopped reading the files after reading what happened in New York. Nat asked me why and I told her that I didn't want those memories to make me.

I had a new life-_again_-and I wanted to make something out of it without the aid of anyone or anything.

When my hand passes over the jagged scar on my side, a reminder of what could have been the end, I can't help but wonder if I would ever find a place to call my own, if I'll ever find someone to, I don't know. Someone to love?

Turning off the tap, I step out and dry off, catching my reflection in the foggy mirror.

But I don't see Brooklyn Reynolds.

I see a killer.

A weapon.

Someone who shouldn't have been saved.

Someone who should have died a long time ago.

I call Nat into the bathroom after I dress in pants and a long sleeve shirt. When she walks in, I'm combing the long blonde and brown strands of hair that now brush the small of my back. "I need your help with something." I hold out a pair of scissors.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Brook?" Nat smiles at my request. She is a very difficult read sometimes, its no wonder why she's so good at her job. "I still think we should call Banner, let him do more tests, see if anything has really changed."

More than one hundred days have passed. I've practiced and tested my body using my powers, waiting to see if the blinding headaches would return. So far, they haven't. I still don't know the full extent of what I am capable of, a part of me doesn't want to find out. Calling Banner would be a mistake; calling anyone would be a mistake, not matter how badly I want to tell them that I'm alive. I just don't want to put anymore of my problems on their plates. They deserve better.

"Yeah. I am." I pause, thinking of how I want to phrase my words. "You told me that I just took on my name before the explosion. But taking a name is one thing; I need to let go of who I was before that."

"Well, okay then. Let's get to work."

I sat down in a chair and let Nat loose on my hair. It was strange; with each strand that fluttered to the floor, I could feel myself becoming a new person. I felt lighter and different. Confident. I felt _alive_.

There are no words that could explain this feeling to anyone.

As soon as Natasha was finished, I didn't know what to say. I didn't tell her how much to cut off or how to style it, but there was a sense of trust between the two of us.

Running my fingers through what was left my my locks, I couldn't help but giggle like a little kid. I couldn't even convince myself to look in the mirror.

"I met this hair stylist while working in Africa a few years back and he taught me a couple of trick." Romanoff offers me a hand held mirror so that I could see the back view. "You should see what I can do with a pair of garden shears."

"Thank you, Nat." I push the mirror away, not needing to see who Brooklyn looks like now. I want to create an image in my head before I see my reflection with my own eyes. "But I trust you. After all you've done for me, I trust you."

After I clean up, I go to my room to pack my things. Nat bought me a backpack and I fill it with a couple pairs of jeans and shirts and a few necessities. I lace up my boots, pull on a jacket and hat and head towards the back door.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Not really." I let my bag slide some, not liking the feelings that are building in my chest. It has been a long time since I cared for someone, and it felt strange to feel like someone truly cared for me. I wouldn't be standing here today without Natasha. "I wish I could repay you for what you've done for me, Nat. Really."

"You don't need to, Brooklyn. I'm just glad that you are doing okay." the red head smiles and I return it. "Take care of yourself, will ya? I don't want to have to do this again."

I don't have anything to say, so I wrap my arms around her. I wish I had another choice, part of me wants to stay in this small house forever. But we both have lives to live; I just don't know what I'm going to do with my new one.

Going out the back door, I look over my shoulder one last time before I disappear into the thick of the trees.

I have been planning this for a while now, but going through with it isn't like anything I could have prepared for.

Leaving Natasha, someone who knew Kate and some of the things she did and still helping when she didn't have to, I don't know. There's something about that Russian. I secretly hope that this wouldn't be the last time that I saw her, but I am preparing myself for that likelihood. I didn't tell her were I was going, which was for the better. I'm just glad that she understood.

* * *

After four days I find myself standing in a small European city just outside of Sokovia. I remember Kenneth Benton telling me that he was heading this way,when I was in the Reynolds' old home, though that was months ago. I followed his trails as best I could, but I'm not sure that he's even still here.

I walk up the snow covered steps of the townhouse, admiring the flowers and intricate designs of the home, I prepare myself for the worst, but hoping for the best. Rapping my fist three times against the wooden door, I wait until I hear footsteps.

"I told you kids that I wasn't goin' to buy anymore-" the door swings open, and there stands Uncle Ken, surprise slowly crossing his face. "C-Charlie?"

"Yeah. Yeah, its me, Uncle Kenny." my body moves forward without my brain telling it to go. I wrap my arms around the older man, taking in the scent of the woods and lemon. "Its your Charlie."

Carefully, he walks to me with open arms. I guess he wasn't sure what I would do, and frankly I didn't either. But then he hugs me and for the first time, I feel... loved. Truly loved.

Ken ushers he inside, taking my bag and all but pushing me to the kitchen table. "I was just about to fix my plate for dinner Would you like some, Charlie?"

I smiled at the use of the nickname he had for Brooklyn-the name he had for me. I nod my head and watch as he pours what appears to be some kind of homemade stew. Kenneth sits the bowl of steaming noodles and meat in front of me and thank him before grabbing my fork and digging in.

Minutes had passed before I realized that he was staring at me; not in a bad way, he seemed to be in awe of what he was seeing. His own meal sat untouched and I pointed at his bowl.

"I thought you were going to eat?"

"Ah, yes!" he says grabbing his own fork, but he quickly puts it back down. "I'm sorry, I just-"

I sink into my chair. I knew this could happen. It was too much to take in at once; I didn't want to risk calling him because I didn't want to alert anyone that I was alive. The shock must be taking its toll on him.

"I'm sorry, Kenneth. I shouldn't have dropped in on you like this." I push my chair back and make for my bag that sits by the front door. "I'll leave."

"No, please, Brooklyn. Don't leave." he joins me by the door, and takes my hand in his own. I'm not sure of his age but he seems to be much older than what he actually is. It could be the years of hoping that Brooklyn Reynolds being alive aged him faster than the years did. "Please don't go. I just got you back."

"Okay," I assure him. "okay."

* * *

Over the next couple of days, I catch up with the only family I have left. At first Ken wants to know where I've been all of these years, why it took me so long to go back home, but I couldn't tell him anything he wanted to hear. Not yet and maybe not ever.

I just don't know if both of us could handle something like that.

"I'm really glad you found me, Charlie. After that day, I didn't know if I would ever see you again."

The day he's talking about is when we crossed paths in the Reynolds' home in Brooklyn, New York. It was him who triggered something in me, a realization that led me to who I really am.

"I'm just glad you're safe." I shift in my seat, not sure how I want to proceed.

"This isn't the only reason why you came here, is it?"

I crack a small laugh. "How'd you know."

"You do this thing with your eyebrows when you can't think of how to say something. You're father did the same thing." Ken takes a sip of his tea. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I have this crazy idea, its probably stupid, and I'm going to need your help."

"Okay. What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, I being to tell him my plan.

"I want to take back my father's company, make it into what he wanted. Because sooner or later, Brooklyn Reynolds is going to come back from the dead and I don't want the company my father built to be in the hands of the wrong people." I say. As I speak, I see flashes of what looks like a gala. I see the current owner, Derek Young, before is vanishes. _Was that a memory?_

"And when we get it back, I want you to run it with me."

Kenneth starts laughing. I take a pull from my beer and wait for him to finish. When he sees that I am not amused, that I am serious, he stops. "You aren't kidding?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Look, I know that this is a lot to ask of you, but I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think we could do this. I can't tell you why or how I know, but the people who are running it now, are partly responsible for what happened to me while I was gone." I lean forward as I talk, excitement building in my chest as I think about this more and more. "I need you to go back to New York, get a good lawyer, map out a plan that you think will work and wait for me."

In the time that he was silent, I wondered if I had made a mistake of telling him this. Sure, it was a stupid and farfetched idea and poorly drawn up, but I just knew it would work. It had to.

"Derek Young is someone few people like to be involved with." Ken shakes his head. "He's powerful; whatever he's doing with RI is next-gen stuff. Experts are saying that it will rival Oscorp and Stark Industries, maybe even exceed them in the next ten years.

"You know it won't be easy."

"Please don't tell me I'm crazy-" I stop. I pause a second, then say, "Wait, you're, you're going to help me? Really?"

"I've been thinking all these years, that if I had don't something different, I could have saved you and Scott. I know nothing I do will change the past, or give you your childhood back, so if I can do something to help you now, then I'll do it."

"It could get dangerous. I mean, really dangerous." I tell him, making sure that he understands. "Are you sure?"

"There's no doubt in my mind."

I smile. "Great."

* * *

The next few days see me helping him get arranged to return to the States. I tell him to start locally in his search for good lawyers, ones how are willing to take the case. I told him that funds wouldn't be a problem, and if what I can provide isn't enough, then I'll just have to go to Plan B.

I hope I won't need Plan B.

* * *

On the night before Kenneth and I leave, I find myself unable to sleep. I stare at the ceiling for hours before I jump up and pull on my boots, throw on a shirt and grab my jacket then I head for the door. I do not have a destination in mind, but the fresh air helps me clear my head.

Twenty minutes of walking later, I find on the outskirts of a market. Even at this hour there are still a few locals tending to their goods. I watch them for a few minutes, enjoying the peace when someone walks across my vision.

_No. It can't be._

There, walking towards the forrest, is the man who gave the orders on Project: Alpha. His name escapes my memory, but his face does not. I know it is him. Before I can talk myself out of doing something stupid, I'm following him at a distance, wondering what he's doing here.

I keep myself low in a crouch as I follow the man, moving swiftly, pausing behind trees and bushes so he won't see me. After awhile, he comes up on a castle that is heavily guarded, and vanishes.

I sit out in the snow for a few minutes, thinking of how I can get inside, when I see two figure off in the distance, walking towards the castle. A man with white hair and a woman with long dark locks are talking to themselves.

This isn't right. They don't even look like soldiers. So why are they here, willingly going into a place that the same man who is gave me these powers resides?

With a sigh, I come to the realization that I'm not going back to New York just yet.

* * *

The sun has broken over the hills of Sokovia by the time I walked through the front door. My shoulders were slacked and I was tired. Having spent the rest of the night watching the castle and avoiding protrols in the cold took a lot out of me. I guess I'm not as recovered as I had thought.

"Morning, Charlie." greets Ken with a forced smile. Automatically, I felt guilty for leaving him. I didn't think to leave a note or any sigh that I was okay; he probably thought the worst. "Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Look, I'm sorry for leaving like that. I just needed some air." I head to the fridge and pour myself a glass of water, quickly I refill it two more times. I think back to what I saw. And how this could be my only chance. To do what? I haven't figured that part out yet. "Are you all packed?"

"Yeah. I didn't bring a lot over any way, so it didn't take too long."

"That's good." I set the glass on the table and shove my hands into the front pockets of my pants. "So, here's the plan. When you get to New York, try to lay low. Don't draw attention to yourself. Avoid people you know, don't answer questions that could lead anyone to what you and I are doing. Only look at lawyers who aren't well known, ones who work in a small office, maybe even have limited resources, nothing big. It'll be easier for everyone."

"When 'I' get to New York?" his brows furrow in confusion. I lower my gaze. "You aren't coming with me," that isn't a question. More like an realization.

"I would't send you alone if I didn't have to. But I just came across something really big and if I let it go, I may never get another chance."

"Its been over two decades, Brooklyn. I've lived all these years not knowing if I would ever see you again, and now you want to leave after coming back into my life?"

_Well, when you put it like that..._

"Uncle Ken, I-" this is going to be harder than it needs to be. But I have to get him to understand, somehow, as to why I need to do this. "The people who kidnapped me, the people who killed Dad, they trained me and made me into something that I am not proud of. All those years I was missing, I was doing what I was created to do; they told me that my work was making the world a better place, but I know now that that was a lie.

"I have these... abilities. I got them from one of their experiments, and I used them to do horrible things. Things I can never be forgiven for. I have tried to forget what I did, but I can't. It's a part of me. But what they made me into isn't going to define who I can become."

I let my power flow through my right hand, a white hue engulfing and circling my fingers. Kenneth looks on in awe; and for what feels like the first time, someone can look at me, the real me, and not be afraid of what they see.

"I am trying to be a new person, a better person, one my parents and you would be proud of, not who I was before. I do know that I am going to do good with my powers. I know that will never make up for all the wrong I did, but if doing so can help other people find peace, then its worth it."

Kenneth is quite for a while. I can see the gears turning in his head. I can hear his hear racing in his chest. Through all of this, I don't know what he will say next.

"I don't know if you remember your father, Brook, but if you do, even the smallest memory, you will know the kind of man he was." he tells me, tears welling in his eyes. "He and your mother would be so very proud of you. As am I."

Even sitting down, my knees buckle and I fall into Ken's arms. I'm sobbing into his thick sweater uncontrollably. I may not have any memories of my father, but I hope to someday. Hearing Ken tell me that I would have made my father proud, even with all the wrong that I've done, was more than I could ask.

* * *

_There is no going back now. You can do this, Brook. You can do this._

I'm standing about a mile off from the castle where I saw the man. I have calculated that the man and woman I saw would be heading way soon; and I'll be there to greet them. When I see them walking through the woods, I step out from my place behind the trees, alerting them of my presence. They stop at the sight of me, wonder filling their eyes.

"Who are you? What are you doing out here?" the dark haired woman questions, her Sokovian accent thick and filled with demand.

I fold my hands behind my back and walk parallel to them. I couldn't give any hints as to who I was before. Kate Lynn was an American, but having been trained in so much, I need to go about this in a different way. I dyed my short hair jet black, green contacts cover my grey eyes. I wear tall black boots, black jeans, a black long sleeve shirt and leather jacket, also black. "Your boss. You are going to take me to him." I say in my best British accent.

As soon as I had spoken, they were on alert. They didn't waste time in denying knowledge of whom I was speaking, but did resort to another form of action.

I knew that they weren't soldiers, so that means that they were his experiments. This I was sure of. But I didn't know what kind of abilities they had, no idea of knowing what I was up against. I soon found out.

The white haired man took a step and in a blink he was gone. I could hear a whooshing sound, which means that he can move fast. Something comes up behind me, knocking me back into a bush. I get to my feet and spot a tree root protruding out from the frozen earth; I still don't know the limits of my abilities and I know that this was a stretch, but I had to try.

I hold out my left hand towards the tree root just as Speedy came by. When he was within range, I control the root, lifting it up out of the ground, effectively knocking the man to the ground before I wrapped the root around his legs.

"You won't get away with this!" He continues to struggle.

I sign and punch his face, knocking him out. "I've heard that before."

Suddenly, a blast of red light flies over my head.

"Let him go!"

The way she speaks, the anger and worry in her voice, means that they are close. "I'm not doing anything until I get what I want." I look at Speedy, who appears to be in an uncomfortable position. "Maybe your boyfriend is more willing to help. Ah, no," then I see it. "Or shall I say, your brother. Hm?"

I start to walk to the woman, the white hue of my powers spinning around my hands as I advanced. "What did that man promise you? A better life? Power to help your country is ways that were unmatched?"

"What does it matter?"

"It matters more than you realize,"

She throws a red blast of her own power at me, but I was ready. I raise my hands and catch it in my own, admiring it, how it differed from mine. The woman is too shocked to move. I suppose I should be to.

Before she knows what to do, I send the energy blast back to her, knocking her back into a clearing. She groans, holding her middle. I kneel beside her, "Now, as I was saying,"


End file.
